Despite having an “arms length” body of citizenry that meets independently to recommend changes to the pay packet of the Town of Arnprior’s elected representatives according to a four-year cycle, it is current sitting Council members that have the final say.
The Advisory Committee meets from May to October of the year BEFORE a Municipal Election, and its report recommendations are made public in March the year of. It’s a policy that’s been in effect in Town since 2017.
The current sitting Council then reviews the suggestions, and accepts, rejects or alters what is proposed.
Among changes being contemplated or determined are the establishment of a Deputy Mayor position, who will also sit at Renfrew County Council and also draw remuneration from the Upper Tier; a hike in the rate of pay for all members elected, an annual cost-of-living adjustment, and, for the first time- a pension plan.
These moves have been discussed at length at the last two Town Council meetings, and Treasurer Jennifer Morawiec will bring a final report back to the table in April when decisions will be solemnized.
So far, we know that current Council is in favour of future members joining the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement Savings Plan (OMERS), with both personal and corporate contributions being made on their behalf- and maintaining the COLA equivalent of of what’s negotiated by unionized staff.
While the stated intention of objectivity is a laudable exercise, the optics may also be compared with statistics since year 2000.
Incumbency success in Municipal Elections in Arnprior is a projected 72 percent, meaning representatives are firstly approving their own raises- and secondarily incentivizing candidacy in the wider population.
By Rick Stow
