Lambton County councillors have approved a pay raise for those elected to council later this year.
On Wednesday, council carried a motion recommending compensation be increased to the comparator groups' median.
The move will increase the warden's salary by $4,522 to $81,947, the deputy warden will earn $43,608, an increase of $7,740, and councillors' salaries will rise by $2,174 to $25,618.
In 2018, council was asked to address the consequences of elected officials losing the benefit of having one-third of their remuneration treated as tax exempt. Corporate Services General Manager Stephane Thiffeault said the previous council raised the issue that the deputy warden was being undercompensated.
"And now when we look at the survey for 2021 figures, effectively what the survey is telling you is that it was a good move by council at the time but a slightly short of goal move by council."
Plympton-Wyoming Mayor Lonny Napper questioned why the deputy was getting "quite a substantial increase," and asked exactly what the workload of the deputy warden is these days. St. Clair Township Mayor Steve Arnold responded, saying before 2018, they all got per diems when they went out.
"There's no more per diems paid for per meetings or per events, and I think that's why the substantial increase that past Deputy Warden Lonny Napper refers to occurred, was so that we could keep them so that they're actually being compensated for the time and effort that they're putting in, and I think it's very positive that it was done that way."
Thiffeault said the job of the deputy really depends on the individual in the warden's chair in how much they rely on the deputy.
"The deputy warden is expected to step into the shoes on a snap of a finger. If something happens, that's the expectation of the deputy warden in terms of job description is to truly be ready, prepared to step in at any point in time."
Point Edward Mayor Bev Hand said there's also an expectation for the deputy to attend and be a part of other committees.
"Such as the Woodlands and such as the [Sarnia-Lambton] Research Park. So, you attend those meetings as part of the leadership on those committees."
Napper was pleased with the answer, saying "that's all I wanted to hear."
Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley said he was supportive of the compensation because "you don't know exactly what you're going to be asked to do."
"I just think the deputy warden, once a year or so, should just give a one page report on what their activities are. And as Mayor Hand indicated, there's obligations that come with being the deputy warden -- being on the Research Park board and other engagements -- I just think so the public knows what they're doing."
The pay hike will take effect on November 15, 2022 at the start of the next term.
-With files from Stephanie Chaves
