West Nipissing council to get immediate boost to yearly salaries

West Nipissing council voted on a 27 per cent salary increase, for the first time in over 20 years.

In a tight vote, council agreed to the pay increase at its meeting on April 15.

The decision comes two years after West Nipissing first proposed looking into council compensation. Council hired a consultant to conduct a third-party compensation review, which looked at 18 similar municipalities and their council salaries, and then make suggestions to West Nipissing council based on the findings.

It was recommended council increase salaries to the 50th percentile of comparable municipal salaries, effective immediately. The 50th percentile amounts to a 27 per cent salary increase for West Nipissing council.

A councillor's yearly salary is going from $17,748 to $22,532, while the mayor's salary will increase from $35,482 a year to $44,877.

"It is definitely worth it because I've seen months that I had to take some of my dollars to go and do the job to do it properly," said Councillor Rolly Larabie, in support of the motion. 

"And so this is definitely warranted and I'm all for moving forward with this." 

Larabie noted there were concerns from people about the salary increase being so high, and suggested salary reviews be done every few years to avoid large increases in the future.

Councillor Jamie Restoule pointed out that there was misinformation circulating online about the salary increases. He noted a compensation review has never been done before, and said council took appropriate steps by conducting the independent review when deciding how to proceed with the sensitive topic.

"Council isn't proposing their own raise here," said Restoule. 

"We did this, I believe in the right way. We didn't sit around and say, 'let's give ourselves a raise' and this is what we want."

Mayor Kathleen Thorne Rochon also reminded councillors that the topic had been discussed for over two years, and proposed increases to salaries were approved in the 2025 budget.

Not all councillors were in favour of implementing the salary increase immediately, as recommended, with some suggesting it should take effect in the next council term in 2026 and be brought in gradually over the next few years.

"Is there an increase that is warranted? Absolutely. I don't believe it should be now. We should make that determination and it comes into effect at the next council and they can have that starting point," argued Councillor Roche St-Louis.

"But I think increments and baby steps as opposed to a 50th percentile is what would be best."

Two motions to delay the pay increases until next council term were put forward but defeated.

In a recorded vote, council ultimately voted five to four in favour of implementing the salary boosts immediately.