While we don’t question the hard work the mayor and City council put in, we were rather shocked when Mayor Peter Brown implied the need for a pay increase as a result of the federal government approving the removal of a tax exemption for elected officials. Brown said he didn’t think a decision made by politicians at another level of government should have an impact on his take-home pay. He said he “did not anticipate” the change and added, “I know what I budgeted for. I know what I can anticipate for me and my family.” That’s all well and good, but it appears the mayor failed to consider the average Airdronian also may not have anticipated or budgeted for governmental tax decisions that impact them. Can you imagine going to your boss and requesting a pay increase because taxes have gone up? We’re not sure about you, but we imagine many of us would be laughed out of the office. Like Deputy Mayor Al Jones, who said he believed the responsibility of determining council's salary should fall to someone other than councillors themselves, we aren’t comfortable with council determining its own pay. How much more money do you think you’d be entitled to, if you were able to decide your own pay? We understand the thought of losing the tax exemption is a tough pill to swallow; however, how is that different from the average person facing wage freezes and budget cuts in their workplace? Council represents the people, and should not be exempt from the realities the average person faces.
