Here’s how much money Mississauga’s mayor and councillors made in 2023
Published March 22, 2024 at 3:55 pm
It appears once again, on paper, that Mississauga city councillors earned lower salaries last year compared to 2020 — this time by $86 apiece.
But just as in both 2021 and 2022, the 11 councillors who represent their respective wards in Canada’s seventh-largest city did not actually take pay cuts in 2023.
A City of Mississauga explanation notes an anomaly that happens every 11 years when the city reveals the annual salaries and benefits earned by city hall politicians is responsible for the appearance of 2020 being a bigger salary year for councillors than 2021, 2022 and last year.
The same applied to the mayor’s salary in 2021 and 2022, but not last year as former mayor Bonnie Crombie’s unpaid leave of absence from last Oct. 7 through Nov. 26 threw her numbers out of order for this particular exercise.
A report from city manager and CAO Shari Lichterman to be presented to the mayor and councillors at next Wednesday’s meeting of general committee lists what Crombie and each ward councillor earned in 2023 (see chart below).
The Ontario Municipal Act stipulates municipalities must make public each year such statements of remuneration and expenses paid to members of council, local boards and committees the previous year.
Last year, Crombie earned a salary (including lost earnings of $20,159 during her leave) of $129,438 in addition to $30,385 in benefits. In 2022, she made $146,198 ($31,219 in benefits) and the year previous she earned $144,294 ($30,461 in benefits).
Table shows 2023 earnings of Mississauga’s mayor and members of council. (Source: City of Mississauga)
However, a look at 2020 earnings shows Crombie, now leader of the Ontario Liberal Party, made $149,157 in addition to $30,843 in benefits — or nearly $3,000 more than her 2022 salary.
Meanwhile, each councillor made $94,704 in 2023 salary in addition to benefits (most in the $21,000 to $25,000 or so range).
In 2020, councillors earned $94,790 apiece, on the surface $86 more than last year. They made $92,909 in 2022.
A city spokesperson told insauga.com last year that while it may look like local municipal politicians received pay cuts since 2020, it’s not the case.
“In 2020, members of council and all staff received 27 pays, including one pay in January 2020 for hours worked in December 2019,” the spokesperson said. “This occurs once every 11 years, which is why 2020 would appear higher than 2021 (and 2022).” (And also 2023).
The anomaly is not expected to happen next year as salary increases in 2024 should offset the 2020 effect.
