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In late July of this year, Toronto City Council voted to increase their own pay from $87,214.00 to $93,400.00, or approximately 9% annually. Torontonians were led to believe that this was in fact not a pay raise as it would only come into effect after the coming municipal elections in November.
At the same time the citizens of Toronto were faced with the threat of a mass transit strike because the same council could not see its way to settle for a 3% wage increase for its unionized workers.
Hand in hand with the 9% wage increase comes an extension for term of office from three to four years. Let’s do the math: ($6,186.00 X 3) + $93,400.00 = $111,958.00 in absolute terms over what a councillor was making if she/he is re-elected. Knowing that it is considerably more difficult to win a seat from a returning incumbent for many reasons, this raise will never pass the smell test of Toronto taxpayers and we should expect to see real change in the complexion of council after this coming election.
I promise that if I am elected I will set aside any portion of the raise, over an annual 3%, to be made available to Ward 14 Parkdale High Park constituents on an emergency or special needs basis.
Further, it is my position that if and until Toronto City Council manages to balance the books at city hall and operate this city without a yearly financial deficit, no raises to elected city officials will be considered. In any year where council does manage to balance the books, any raises to elected officials should be limited to the same percentages that the unionized employees are given.
"Turn on to politics, or politics will turn on you."
Ralph Nader