Halifax councillors receive another pay raise, now earn more than MLAs

Halifax’s mayor and the city’s 16 councillors have received an early holiday present in the form of a 4.43 per cent pay increase.

According to remuneration numbers posted on the Halifax Regional Municipality’s website, councillors’ base salary is increasing from $88,344.43 to $92,258.09.

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Mayor Mike Savage will earn $190,072.43 in the 2019/20 year, an increase of over $8,000 from the year prior. Deputy Mayor Lisa Blackburn will go from earning $97,178.87 to $101,483.89.

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It’s the largest pay raise since 2012, when councillors earned a pay increase of 5.38 per cent. Councillors have received a pay increase of at least two per cent for every year since, except in 2018/19 when the increase was 1.08 per cent.

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Council approved a motion in May 2017 to tie its annual raises to average weekly earnings in Nova Scotia, rather than linking council salaries to other municipalities.

This pay increase means councillors will now earn more than MLAs, whose base salary is $89,234.90. Premier Stephen McNeil’s base salary is $112,791.20, according to provincial records on compensation.

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Savage’s salary has increased nearly $40,000 since he was first elected.