This is a snippet of a post over at Mike Cluett’s blog
I find myself fascintated with the whole issue, and am writing my own ‘letter to the editor’ to voice my support for what Mike has written
DEAR EDITOR:
I thought I was reading one of the Champion’s Time Capsule articles about a pay increase, but alas it was real and recent.
Milton councillors have now received three pay increases since taking office in 2006.
I understand completely that Town staff need to have salaries reviewed on a regular basis in order for them to be paid fairly for the work they do.
My only question is why does it have to include our town councillors?
When this council was elected in 2006, the base salary, not including the regional councillors’ portion, was roughly $21,000. From my calculations, they’re now being paid more than $26,000 — and that doesn’t include the council perk of having one-third of that salary tax free.
That’s a substantial increase in pay for a part-time position. Politics is perception, and I don’t think this will sit well with Milton taxpayers.
In the last three years, we have had three higher-than-normal increases in our mill rate — with what to show for it? We now have more Milton Transit buses that run empty throughout town, and for that they have spent more than $3 million in the last three years.
Milton taxpayers are now the proud owners of a Town Hall glass wall, albeit beautiful and majestic, that cost more than $1 million. They couldn’t have found something just as beautiful and majestic locally for much less?
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg, as there are many more examples of Milton council spending beyond its means.
Read the rest of the story here
