Report reveals what town council cost last year

Roger Varley

Ontario released the so-called Sunshine List last week, detailing which public servants earned more than $100,000 in 2023.

Leading the pack in Uxbridge was the township's chief administrative officer, Kristi Honey, with a reported income of $175,000 in the year. However, the list appeared to be incomplete, as several names that made the list the year previously could not be found. One name that did appear was township clerk Debbie Leroux, with a reported income of $137,600.

The list only covers public employees, not elected representatives. But treasurer Tobi Lee gave council a report on Monday that showed how much each member of council earned during 2023.

As was expected, Mayor Dave Barton had the highest income. His salary as mayor was $49,224, but with benefits, car allowance and other payments, his total municipal remuneration was $74,000. All other members of council were paid between $32,000 and $33,000, but with benefits and expenses, they all earned between $49,000 and $51,000.

Adding in severance payments to former council members Gord Highet ($44,000) and Gary Ruona ($12,600), the total cost of council in terms of salaries and benefits for 2023 was $434,000.