By Pam Wright
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The numbers are in on how much Chatham-Kent’s mayor and council were paid in 2024.
All told, taxpayers forked out $1,022,110, according to a financial report that came to council recently, with councillors getting nearly a 20 per cent raise for their efforts.
Mayor Darrin Canniff led the way with a salary of $137,476, as well as a total of $23,170 in honorarium benefits. He was also the top spender in office supplies, $6,045, in addition to $11,542 to cover allowances for items such as travel and training.
Most C-K councillors took home a base salary of $43,451 last year – compared to a base salary of $36,900 in 2023. However, Rhonda Jubenville was paid only $42,824 due to adjustments regarding the councillor’s three-month absence in 2023. Former East Kent Coun. Steve Pinsonneault who left council in the spring of 2024 to successfully run for the Lambton-Kent-Middlesex MPP’s seat, was paid $13,448. Morena McDonald, East Kent’s second runner up in the last municipal election, took over Pinsonneault’s position. She took home $24,534 for the year.
Total cost of honorariums for mayor and council is $870,045, with honorarium-related benefits at $77,904. Total cost for office supplies was $24,128, with other expenses such as travel coming in at $50,033.
Included in the honorarium-related benefit for councillors is a 7.4 per cent pooled benefit charge covering the cost of Canada Pension (CPP) and Employer Health Tax (EHT). Regarding remuneration for the mayoral position, the pooled benefit charge is 25 per cent.
Also outlined in the report was remuneration paid to people serving on various boards and committees.
The two largest costs on those boards include the six-member Chatham-Kent drainage board, which cost taxpayers around $10,000.
Remuneration for citizen representation on the Chatham-Kent Police Services Board was $33,500, with $27,000 allocated for member’s expenses.
Chatham-Kent’s mayor and councillors who serve on various boards are not paid extra for their service, but can claim expenses for some of the costs.
