Members of Amherstburg town council for the 2026 term will see an increase in their yearly salaries.
Council debated a review of compensation on Monday night, the first review since 2017.
The review looked at 13 comparator municipal organizations: Leamington, Essex, Lakeshore, LaSalle, Tecumseh, Kingsville, Bradford West Gwillimbury, Stratford, Lincoln, Innisfil, New Tecumseth, St.Thomas, Woodstock.
It found that the current salaries for all positions was low to the defined pay market using the 65th percentile.
Currently the mayor makes $47,754 per year, deputy mayor at $31,783 and councillors receive $25,229, not including any additional compensation for attending special meetings, conferences or workshops.
The report suggested a pay increase of 27.7 per cent for the mayor to $60,880, a 14.4 per cent increase for the deputy mayor to $36,349 and a 16.7 per cent increase for councillors to $29,455.
Councillor Molly Allaire was concerned about the jump in pay for the mayor's compensation.
"This is still tax dollars and to me, I found that the 27 per cent pay increase was quite a bit."
Mayor Michael Prue says this about looking down the road and properly compensating whoever is on council come 2026.
"The pay for the mayor has not increased since 2017 and in 2026, nine years later, and if you divide that, nine years at 27 per cent, that's three per cent a year. Which is about inflation and that's all that's happening here."
Councillor Don McArthur says the new compensation would help attract the best and brightest talent.
"It also allows a multitude of people to be able to run for office so that no one is excluded because of socioeconomic circumstances or the circumstances of their full time job. So because it's for down the road, it's not for us and because it's math and not politics, I'm going to support this."
The pay increase was passed unanimously. Councillor Peter Courtney was not in attendence.