City councillors vote to defer pay raise debate

TORONTO, Ont. - As contract talks with city unions continue, Toronto councillors have voted to put off debate on their own pay raise until after all of the current contract negotiations with city staff are complete.

The vote was passed 35 to 3.

A 3 per cent cost of living increase would give councillors a $3,000 raise to $102,600 a year.

Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday called that outrageous, given the tough negotiations going on with city workers.

"It's the wrong time for this type of debate and it is better put off until after we've dealt with our own workers," said Holyday. "Certainly we're not intending to raise anybody's pay by 3 per cent so I think it would be a huge mistake to take the pay at this time."

Councillor Josh Colle does not think it is right that he gets to choose his own increase.

"More than anything, it should be out of our hands. We shouldn't be the ones determining our own pay, whether that's an increase, a freeze or a decrease," he explained.

Colle said he believes an outside office should be set up to decide council pay raises instead of councillors.

Many councillors say any talk of council pay raises should come after city worker talks are finished.

Holyday and several others think councillor pay should be frozen just like last year.

"We're cutting back in all our departments so in order to be the ones enforcing the cutbacks I think you have to show some leadership and holding the line on our own pay shows leadership," he said.