Chatham-Kent council approved pay raise for councillors sitting on regional, provincial, or federal committees or boards, if they choose.
The payments are for council members serving on boards such as the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) and Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) and the money would come from those regional boards or committees, not the municipality.
Monday night's vote was 13-0.
Original story published June 3, 2023
It looks like some councillors in Chatham-Kent are about to get a pay raise.
A citizens committee reviewing council remuneration for this term of council is recommending that elected officials in Chatham-Kent be able to accept payments or similar benefits for sitting on regional, provincial, or federal committees or boards, if they choose.
The councillor payments or benefits would have to be directly paid by those committees and boards and the councillor would have to be selected by council.
Councillor Aaron Hall asked administration to look into the matter in March 2023.
The committee studied what other municipalities do and is now recommending higher levels of pay for those who are chosen for the non-municipal committees and boards. That issue will go before Chatham-Kent Council on Monday, June 5.
"With a commitment to attracting a diverse representation on Council and acknowledging the benefits that come from Councillor participation on multi-level government committees, the Committee voted in favor of the recommendation," wrote Manager of Chatham-Kent's Total Rewards Ashley Mann in her report going to council on Monday night.
Mayor Darrin Canniff said Chatham-Kent has more representation at upper levels of government now than it has had in a long time.