It's an unassailable fact: Toronto is Canada's largest city.
A consultant's report to council, citing higher mayoral salaries in smaller municipalities, suggests this is a reason to bump the salary of Toronto's mayor by nearly 10 per cent. In addition to recommending a $16,000 salary increase for the mayor, the report, due to land at the executive committee next week, also states councillor salaries should stay at their current levels. If it were only that simple.Those of us seeking some true perspective on salaries of elected officials will find it lacking based on this report. There's some provided, just not enough. The problem lies in that salary comparisons form a neverending process with no satisfactory conclusion. Can we definitively say the positions in Mississauga and Montreal - among those cited in the report as ones with higher mayoral salaries - are fairly compensated, and aren't overpaid? We don't know that. At best, we're seeing an incomplete picture. There's myriad municipal council setups throughout the country and myriad mayoral roles and responsibilities. While the report acknowledges "population cannot be used as the only factor" it strikes us that it's been given overly significant weighting. Also, the problems with these kind of reports are that they don't relate at all to the type of job being done. As a result, all parties end up talking in circles and ultimately getting nothing accomplished. Traditional public sector employees and elected officials are not in the same boat; like any other municipality, Toronto is not in competition with other municipalities for the 'best' elected officials. This isn't a situation where corporations can pursue employees.It's true that being an elected official does not carry the lucrative potential that awaits many in the private sector. After all, public service, the idea of giving back to one's community, has different challenges and rewards. It's also true that elected positions can't be those that only the affluent can pursue; there needs to be appropriate compensation. Ultimately, elected officials deserve fair compensation that adequately reflects a number of factors, including specific job criteria and expectations, and, yes, the population those officials serve. Simply because someone in another municipality makes more money, however, cannot be reason enough to trigger an increase. It's admittedly a thorny, complex issue, especially in an election year. While it may seem easy for this year's crop of mayoral candidates to vow to turn down an increase, hearing them say so does provide some comfort.