The Huntingdon Municipal Council approved a by-law to establish a 40% raise overall in their salaries which were frozen for several years.
@R:The salary for Mayor André Brunette will increase from $17,753 to $25,200, which includes a base salary of $12,000, an additional $400 for each council meeting that he attends ($4,800 per year) and an expense account of $8,400.
Councillors will see their salaries increase from $5,918 to $8,400, which includes a base salary of $4000, $133.33 for each council meeting they attend ($1,600 per year) and an expense account of $2,800.
During the council meeting on Monday, March 7, Mayor Brunette explained that salaries of elected officials had only increased once in the last 20 years, since the closures of Huntingdon and Kleyn & Tinker Mills. Former Mayor, Stéphane Gendron placed a freeze on salaries for elected officials in solidarity with the workers affected by these closures.
« Our increases are based on the nouveau Guide de rémunération des élus published by the Union des municipalités (UMQ).This is more about retroactive remuneration than an increase, » declared Brunette. « Besides, the by-law provides for a 2% annual indexing for the coming years. »
This increase in wages for elected representatives, which was well advertised in the municipal newsletter, has not elicited a strong reaction from the public to date. Less than a dozen citizens attended the monthly council meeting.
According to statistics from the Haut Saint-Laurent MRC, the cost to residents for this measure will increase from $6.86 to $9.74 in taxes for Huntingdon.
Remuneration for elected officials in Huntingdon
Mayor
Previous salary: $17,753
Adjusted salary: $25,200
Councillors
Previous salary: $5,918
Adjusted salary: $8,400
Translated by Cathleen Johnston
