Wellesley council approves pay increase for next term of council

By Galen Simmons

Wellesley Township council has approved an increase to base pay for the mayor and councillors that will take effect at the start of the next term of council on Nov. 15.

According to a report presented by clerk Amy Harron, the mayor’s annual base salary will increase by $5,340.86 to $39,078.50, while councillors’ base pay will increase by $4,312.63 to $22,604.47.

“As council is well aware, the responsibilities of council members are far greater than the legislated duties,” Harron said. “A council remuneration review was last completed in 2017 by a consulting firm with a modest increase that was phased in over three years. The recommended increase is reflective of the current comparator median, using the 50th percentile, which has been used in the last market salary review for staff.

“ … Maintaining market rate remuneration for members of council and performing the review during the last year of the council term helps prevent large increases to catch up when the review is completed.”

The increase follows a review of council compensation conducted in advance of the 2026 municipal election, a process typically completed once per term to ensure remuneration remains in line with comparable municipalities and reflects the responsibilities of elected officials.

Staff compared Wellesley’s current remuneration levels with those of similar lower-tier municipalities, including those without strong mayor powers like Wellesley, taking into account factors such as population, council composition and number of meetings annually. The review found both the mayor and councillors were being paid below the median compensation level among comparable municipalities.

The approved increase is intended to bring Wellesley council’s remuneration in line with the 50th percentile of comparator municipalities, helping maintain consistency with neighbouring jurisdictions and supporting transparency for individuals considering running for municipal office. Recently discussed or approved pay increases for the councils of neighbouring Wilmot and Woolwich, however, will mean the compensation for members of Wellesley council will remain roughly $10,000 less for the mayor and about $3,000 less for councillors.

“I like to see this because I like to think that we shouldn’t sell ourselves short with the work we put in and the time that we spend with the constituents, and the time we spend doing meetings and whatnot,” Coun. Shelley Wagner said. “There were years where I felt like I paid the township instead of the township paying me. We do a lot of good work and we put a lot of time in.

“You don’t necessarily run for the money … but it is also nice to be recognized for the amount of time you commit to the betterment of the township on behalf of taxpayers.”

According to the report, council remuneration is not typically included in staff market salary reviews, making periodic council-specific reviews important to ensure compensation remains appropriate and competitive.

The financial impact of the increase will be phased in beginning late in 2026, with an estimated cost of approximately $2,396 for the remainder of that year. The annual budget impact beginning in 2027 is projected to be $19,170.30 for all members of council, excluding any future cost-of-living adjustments.

Council remuneration will continue to be adjusted annually based on council-approved cost-of-living adjustments, and a further review of council compensation is expected to take place in 2030 ahead of the next municipal election.

Coun. Claude Hergott was the only member of council to vote against the council pay increase, stating he was satisfied with his current level of pay as a councillor and would be satisfied with annual cost-of-living adjustments only.

“We’re not talking about what you’re receiving right now; we’re talking about what the next council will receive,” Mayor Joe Nowak said in response to Hergott’s comments, later noting that appropriate compensation for members of council is an important factor for those considering running as candidates in this year’s and future municipal election.

The pay increase will apply only to the next term of council following the Oct. 26 municipal election and will not affect the current term.