Pay increase for Bracebridge Council approved for next term

Councillor Tatiana Sutherland says that "compensating people above average is in our best interest”

Bracebridge General Committee approved a pay increase for next term, in the February 3, 2026, meeting.

According to the staff report, the new compensation framework for the 2026–2030 term of Council, includes setting updated base salaries, benefits, and allowances that will take effect following the next municipal election later this year.

Under the approved Council Compensation Review, the new pay structure will begin this November 18, which is the inaugural meeting date for the next term of Council.

Annual base compensation will be set at $55,171 for the Mayor, $36,796 for the Deputy Mayor, and $29,821 for Councillors.

Committee also approved annual adjustments to base compensation beginning January 1, 2027. These increases will be tied to the same percentage rate approved for non-union staff, allowing Council pay to rise in line with broader municipal salary adjustments.

In addition to base compensation, they approved the establishment of Health Care Spending Accounts for Members of Council, effective November 18, 2026. The accounts will provide up to $4,000 per year for family coverage and will terminate when a member is no longer elected or reaches age 85, whichever comes first. Existing Accidental Death and Dismemberment coverage will continue unchanged.

An Information Technology allocation was also approved for November 2026, with an allocation of $1,800 per member. In November 2027, 2028, and 2029, the allocation will be $750 per year per member. Where a Council member receives partial or no IT funding from the District Municipality of Muskoka, the Town will provide the difference or the full amount.

As part of the approved framework, staff have been directed to conduct a market comparison review of Council compensation during the third year of the 2026–2030 term. The findings will be reported back to General Committee before the end of 2029.

Mayor, Rick Maloney, said they’re maintaining themselves at the 56^th percentile, adding, “that was the comfortable area to be in when you look at our comparators.”

Councillor, Tatiana Sutherland, emphasized the importance of the pay package “incentivizing higher quality staff.” She said, “Higher level staff can sometimes be difficult to recruit locally.”

She added, “Intelligence, effort, and capacity goes into being a Councillor… Compensating people above average is in our best interest.” She suggested it’s important to consider “when we’re delivering the message to the public regarding who we would like to represent Bracebridge.”

Deputy Mayor, Brenda Rhodes, concurred with Sutherland, adding that it can also be “challenging balancing two jobs,” so it’s important to “ensure they’re properly compensated.”

Councillor, Barb McMurray, said, “I don’t think Councillors are the ones who should be taking of a whole lot of money.” She emphasised the goal of the job as “supporting the community.”

She added, “It’s not all about compensation.”