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Raises for regional employees double councillors' pay hikes By Tim Foran OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF 13 · Thursday, December 10, 2009 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.oakvillebeaver.com A zero tax hike budget can be accomplished without freezing wages for Regional employees or council members, according to Halton's 2010 budget. The proposed budget, which goes to council for approval Dec. 16, includes money for a possible hike to the salaries and benefits of regional council members of up to 1.5 per cent next year. That cost-of-living increase, which stems from the recommendations of a civilian committee that reviews council's compensation, would be about half the average 3.15 per cent salary and benefit increase budgeted for Halton's own employees. Compensation for municipal employees makes up a large part of the Region's proposed $700 million operating budget. The treasury is budgeting $164 million -- just over $1.1 million goes to the 21 regional council members -- to cover the cost of wages, benefits, overtime, and pro- Sophie's Place Sale this weekend Oakville & District Humane Society (ODHS) will be hosting its Holiday Sophie's Place Sale on Saturday, Dec. 12 and Sunday, Dec. 13. Held at the shelter, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., the sale features holiday gifts for pets and people, too. Cat and dog stocking stuffers, dog coats, handbaked biscuits and handmade catnip mice are amongst the fare. The humane society's popular clothing in a wide range of styles and sizes will also be available, with sale prices on last season's items. All proceeds go to help homeless, abused and neglected animals of the community. The ODHS is located at 445 Cornwall Rd. For information call 905-845-1551 or www.oakvillehumane.ca. motions for its own personnel, a 5.23 per cent increase over this year's budget. Approximately half of the Region's employees, and all of the Regional police force, are unionized and the budget includes about three per cent increases for their salaries and benefits, based on negotiated collective bargaining agreements and raises given historically. The City of Toronto, which experienced a strike by its unionized employees this past summer, negotiated just under two per cent annual hikes for its staff, excluding police. Halton Region uses a pay-for-performance system for its non-unionized staff, meaning they generally receive raises in the zero to four per cent range, according to Treasurer Jane MacCaskill. The Region has included enough money in the budget to cover about an overall two per cent hike for those employees. Salaries and benefits in the office of Halton's top bureaucrat, CAO Pat Moyle, are budgeted to rise 8.2 per cent over this year to just under a half million dollars. The Treasurer confirmed much of the $20,000 increase is attributable to the pro- motion of one of Moyle's two staff. As personnel matters are dealt with in camera, the salary for Moyle -- whose performance is reviewed by a sub-committee of regional councillors -- is not released until the spring when the Province puts out its `Sunshine List' of public service employees making more than $100,000 in the previous year. Moyle earned $250,000 in salary and taxable benefits in 2008. If the 2010 budget passes, the salaries and benefits for Halton Region's 20 councillors will have risen an average of 2.4 per cent annually from 2008 to 2010, primarily due to a market adjustment raise they received at the beginning of this year. Compensation for their first year in office in 2007 had been set by the previous council -- which included some existing members -- in September 2006. The base salary of a regional councillor before benefits was about $43,000 this year, though they also receive salaries from the lower-tier municipalities where they work. The base salary for Regional Chair Gary Carr was about $157,000 in 2009. www.OakvilleHonda.com Used Vehicles CIVICS 16 TO CHOOSE FROM ACCORDS CING NAN D FI E RAT M FRO STARTING FROM STARTING AT $8,990 $13,590 11 TO CHOOSE FROM 2.9 % Six year 120,000km limited warranty CRVs STARTING FROM 30 day exchange policy 100 point mechanical Car proof history report on every purchase PILOTS STARTING FROM $16,990 6 TO CHOOSE FROM $24,990 3 TO CHOOSE FROM Thinking Honda? Think Oakville Honda @ QEW & Trafalgar 500 Iroquois Shore Rd., Oakville 1-866-685-6281