County council gives themselves a wage increase
By Richard Blanchard

Simcoe county councillors have given themselves a wage increase.

County councillors voted 23 to 7, Tuesday for a base salary of $8,479 per year.

This will be in addition to their current $212 per meeting charge.

They also approved a wage increase for the warden from $47,000 per year to $55,000 per year.

County councillors were split about the appropriateness of the increase.

Adjala-Torosontio deputy mayor Doug Little said that he opposed the base salary because it would automatically compensate people when they didn't attend meetings.

He also said that the pay increase might affect private citizens volunteerism. "We have a great tradition of volunteerism in my municipality. This might affect it."

Others argued that the pay increase only reflected the demands of the job.

New Tecumseth mayor Mike MacEachern said that he felt that it was a fair increase for the responsibilities of the job. "There is always a problem with the optics in a situation like this, and I think the increase is appropriate."