Council remuneration

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How is the remuneration of members of Council established?

The Province of Ontario through the Municipal Act delegates Guelph City Council the authority to set its remuneration.

Council’s practice is to delegate the task of reviewing the level of remuneration for members of Council to a Citizens Review Committee for Council Compensation. This review is done every four years (i.e. once a Council term). If approved by Council the recommendations of the Citizen Review Committee are applied to the incoming term of Council (i.e. after the municipal election, not before).

Council Remuneration Approval 2019 to 2022

2022 Citizens Review Committee Outcome

The 2022 Citizens’ Committee established the remuneration for members of Council in 2022 as

Mayor – $152,500
Councillor – $47,446

Compensation adjustments for the Mayor and Members of Council will be equal to the Non-union increase effective January 1 of each year for the next term of Council. The current policy of conducting a formal market review for Council every four years and the continued engagement of a Council Remuneration Advisory Committee during the last year of the Council’s term of office will be no longer be maintained as of March 28, 2022. During the last year of the Council’s term of office, the formal market review will be conducted by City staff.

Benefits provided to Council are:

Group Life Insurance
Dependant Life Insurance
Accidental Death and Dismemberment
Extended Health Benefits
Dental Benefits
Mileage Reimbursement
Lodging and meals per diem (reasonable and customary and as outlined in the Policy on Councillor Attendance at Municipal Government Events)
OMERS contributions and enrollment

How is Council held accountable for the setting of their remuneration and for the expenses they might claim?

The Province of Ontario, through section 284 of the Municipal Act, requires the Treasurer of the City of Guelph to file a statement of total remuneration and expenses paid in the previous year by March 31st. These yearly reports are available at the bottom of this webpage.

In addition, Council has established the Councillor Attendance at Municipal Events policy to govern what expenses are eligible to be claimed by members of Council. A budget is approved each year for members of Council to attend conferences, municipal meetings and training sessions related to their role as members of Council along with associated costs for transportation, accommodation and meals. Each member of Council is allocated an equal share of the approved budget. Receipts must be provided for reimbursement of expenses.

The allocation for the Mayor and each Councillor for 2020 to attend conferences, municipal meetings and training sessions is $4,875.

How is the reporting and process for establishing the remuneration for members of Council made transparent?

The Treasurer’s yearly Council Remuneration report publicly available below.
The budget for Council remuneration and expenses is approved as part of the Operating Budget for the City of Guelph at a public meeting of Council.

The following documents are also available for review:

Guiding Principles for City of Guelph Council Remuneration

Council’s Statements of Remuneration

2020 Council Remuneration Report

2019 Council Remuneration Report 2018 Council Remuneration Report 2017 Council Remuneration Report 2016 Council Remuneration Report 2015 Council Remuneration Report