Half of London city councillors paid over $100K in total compensation

London city council (Daryl Newcombe/CTV News London)

Just days before the start of a task force’s review of municipal politicians’ pay and resources, an annual disclosure of financial remuneration reveals that seven of London’s 14 city councillors received pay, benefits, and expenses totaling more than $100,000 in 2024.

Total remuneration paid to ward councillors last year ranged from $86,186 (Councillor Van Meerbergen) to $119,567 (Councillor Susan Stevenson).

In 2022, the previous city council decided annual compensation for ward councillors this term would be set at the region’s 2020 median full-time employment income plus a yearly adjustment based on the average annual variation in median full-time employment income according to census data.

In 2024 that base salary totaled $65,138.

Then last January council boosted the salaries of the deputy mayor and budget chair positions by 12.5 per cent to recognize the additional workload.

Those positions earned $73,279 of base salary last year.

Total benefits collected by each councillor add more than $20,000 annually to each member’s compensation, including the option of receiving a vehicle allowance/reimbursement (amounting to up to $2,124).

Councillors were also reimbursed for eligible expenses (up to a maximum $15,000).

And finally, fees to attend certain municipal conferences were also covered by city hall.

In comparison, just two councillors and the mayor received six-figures of total remuneration in 2023.

On Friday, a new five-person Council Resourcing Review Task Force will hold its first meeting.

The task force of community members chosen by the city clerk and ratified by council will consider a wide range of issues including:

• base compensation for members of council and the mayor
• supplementary compensation and funding source for additional work, such as stipends for board and committee service
• councillor workload; including minimum workload expectation, balancing workloads across council
• councillor severance pay
• councillor role description
• the Council Member’s Expense Account Policy

The task force’s recommendations must be sent to the Strategic Priorities and Policy Committee for council consideration no later than October.

Currently, councillors set their own performance expectations with few rules regarding attendance, communication with constituents, and participation on external boards and commissions.

At times, it’s led to friction between council members because of an uneven distribution of their shared workload.

In addition to holding political office, several members of city council operate businesses or work at jobs outside city hall.

The position of city councillor has never been formally defined as full-time or part-time work.

Mayor Josh Morgan earned $157,661 in base salary, with expenses and benefits increasing his total remuneration to $226,893.

Total 2024 remuneration of councillors:

• Ward 1 - Hadleigh McAlister - $103,267
• Ward 2 - Shawn Lewis (Deputy Mayor) - $108,403
• Ward 3 - Peter Cuddy - $99,990
• Ward 4 - Susan Stevenson - $119,567
• Ward 5 - Jerry Pribil - $104,879
• Ward 6 - Sam Trosow - $93,810
• Ward 7 - Corrine Rahman - $104,885
• Ward 8 - Steve Lehman - $95,788
• Ward 9 - Anna Hopkins - $93,635
• Ward 10 - Paul Van Meerbergen - $86,186
• Ward 11 - Skylar Franke - $106,254
• Ward 12 - Elizabeth Peloza (Budget Chair) - $111,710
• Ward 13 - David Ferreira - $99,778
• Ward 14 - Steve Hillier - $86,433