Stratford Mayor Dan Mathieson and the rest of council could soon get a pay raise.
At the finance and labour relations subcommittee meeting on Tuesday, councillors reviewed different options submitted by an ad-hoc citizens committee that was set up in 2018 to look at how much money the mayor and councillors are making.
The Stratford Beacon Herald reports that the committee was created as a response to Ottawa ending a one-third tax exemption on elected officials as of January 1st this year.
At the meeting, the subcommittee voted to approve an increase in base pay to make up for the loss of the exemption along with an increase in the amount paid to councillors and Deputy Mayor Martin Ritsma to attend meetings and an additional $4-thousand to make up for the absence of group health and dental benefits.
The change, if approved by council at a future meeting, would be retroactive to the beginning of this year and would increase Mayor Dan Mathieson’s base salary from its current $66, 869 to $81,212.
Stratford Deputy Mayor Martin Ritsma’s current annual base salary is $13,860 plus his annual per diem and it would increase to $29,988, including the annual per diem.
Councillors making a base salary of $12,141, plus their annual per diem, would see their salary increase to $28, 878.
Council is expected to vote on the potential increase at an upcoming meeting.