JASON SETNYK
Cornwall City Council deferred a decision on how council salaries should be adjusted in the next term after rejecting several competing options during a lengthy debate at its regular meeting April 27.
The report asked council to choose an annual indexing framework for 2027 to 2030: increases based on the Consumer Price Index, increases aligned with the city’s non-union employee group, or thirdly, whichever of those two figures is lower. Councillor Fred Ngoundjo proposed a fourth option: no increase.
Ngoundjo argued the timing was wrong, citing financial pressure on the city, major capital costs, and residents struggling with housing affordability.
“I wish to state clearly my opposition to any proposal to index the compensation of the members of council,” he said. “Our focus must remain on addressing urgent community needs and ensuring the city’s financial stability.”
Mayor Justin Towndale supported Ngoundjo’s motion, saying he has consistently voted against council pay increases. “Whenever we talk about inflation, job losses and other challenges that our residents are facing, to me, I’m more comfortable not accepting and not voting for a raise,” Towndale said.
Councillor Dean Hollingsworth also supported no increase, arguing council should set an example if it expects restraint elsewhere. “If we’re going to talk about tightening our belts and digging in and trying to manage the budget properly, we need to be prepared to set the example as well,” he said.
Freeze motion defeated
The motion for no increase was defeated 5-3, with Towndale, Ngoundjo and Hollingsworth in favour. Councillors Syd Gardiner (extended leave) and Maurice Dupelle were absent.
Councillor Sarah Good, who has declared her intention to run for mayor, opposed the no-increase motion and argued council compensation should reflect the workload and help attract a broader range of candidates. “This is not like a volunteer position,” Good said. “There is complexity and professionalism required for the work that we do.”
Good said Cornwall remains below comparable municipalities for both mayor and councillor pay. She argued that even a three per cent increase would have a minor impact on the city budget but could matter to future candidates. “If we want to be able to continue to attract and retain qualified individuals to take on these high-pressure roles, at the very least, they should be compensated fairly,” she said.
Councillor Carilyne Hébert also said the issue affects who can realistically serve. “If I worked at a grocery store, if I worked serving at a local restaurant, I would likely have to miss a shift,” she said. “Would it be worth my while?”
Hébert said the next council will have fewer members (8) and likely a heavier workload. “I want to make sure that this council is filled with great folks with a diverse background and experience,” she said. “If we’re not considering increasing our wages for the next council, we won’t see that diverse representation.”
Councillor Claude McIntosh said he could support a cost-of-living increase, while also suggesting the mayor’s salary is low for the demands of the role. “I always thought the mayor’s salary was on the low side, considering it’s full-time, and they are the head of a corporation,” McIntosh said.
Councillor Todd Bennett opposed a freeze but said councillor salaries are not far off some comparators. He said the mayor’s pay deserves separate attention. “That’s a full-time job, and it should pay accordingly,” Bennett said.
Bennett moved Option 1, tying increases to CPI, but that motion was defeated. Good then moved Option 2, aligning increases with the non-union employee group, but that also failed.
Councillor Elaine MacDonald said the options did not go far enough, arguing Cornwall should not remain at the bottom of the comparator chart. “This is not a volunteer job,” MacDonald said. “I think it should be fairly compensated.”
Councillor Sarah Good and Councillor Claude McIntosh both acknowledged the public and media scrutiny surrounding the debate, particularly in an election year.
Good noted that “of course this is something that the media is probably going to excitedly jump on,” while emphasizing the broader implications for future councils.
McIntosh echoed that sentiment from a public reaction standpoint, warning colleagues to “put on your seatbelts” as “you’re going to get lots of feedback. There’s definitely going to be some pushback on this,” including online and in the community.
MacDonald later moved to defer the matter, saying councillors needed more time to consider the information and potentially bring forward another option. The deferral passed, meaning the remuneration framework will return at the next council meeting.
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