Budgets for Member of Council Offices

The City Council annual operating budget provides the funding to support operation of the offices of Members of Council. Members are provided with resources through several budgets:

2024 Budgets

Item Amount
Constituency Services and Office Budget (per Councillor) $58,411.87
Staff Salary Budget (per Councillor) $534,714.08
Mayor’s Office Operating Budget (includes staffing) $3,054,875.67

 

Additional Funding

Additional funding is available through general budgets for office set-up, equipment and communication and for travel when representing Council.

Further details:

Operating Budget for Mayor’s Office

The Mayor’s Office has an operating budget for payroll and non-payroll expenses instead of a Constituency Services and Office Budget and a Councillor Staffing Budget.

Mayor’s Office expenses are guided by the Members of Council Operations Policy. Any exceptions to the policy for the Mayor’s Office will be set out in the specific section of the policy.

The Members of Council Operations Policy provides for routine disclosure of expense records of Members of Council.

The City Clerk’s Office publishes the Mayor and Councillors’ office budget and expenses, including year-to-date expenditure details, on the City’s website within 30 days of the end of the quarter or the year-end closing date.

Supporting transaction documentation has personal information redacted (blocked) before posting, as required by the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA).

The Mayor’s year-to-date expenses are also included in the quarterly routine disclosure. The Mayor has an annual operating budget approved by Council. Expenses disclosed relate to non-salary expenditures from this budget.

All approved expenses have been authorized by Members of Council or their staff. All signatures have been redacted.

The remuneration and severance for Members of Council are set out in the Municipal Code, Chapter 223.

2024 Salaries

Member Amount
Councillor’s salary $133,776.24
Mayor’s salary $225,304.04

Information regarding benefits, pension and severance for Members of Council can be found on the Policies and Guidelines web page.

During the term of Council, remuneration paid to the Mayor and Councillors is adjusted annually to the Statistics Canada Consumer Price Index for Toronto, as calculated by the Deputy City Manager and Chief Financial Officer and based on the previous year’s average (City Council 2006).

Members do not receive additional remuneration for sitting on agencies, boards, commissions and corporations (City Council 2006), except for the Toronto Region and Conservation Authority (TRCA) and the Housing Services Corporation (HSC).

If Members wish to run in a provincial or federal election, they continue to be paid and can choose to reimburse the City for a portion of their salary.

The City Clerk and Treasurer report to Council on the remuneration and expenses for Members of Council by March 31 of the following year, as legislated by the City of Toronto Act, 2006.

(The Municipal Code Chapter 223 requirement to conduct a remuneration study before the beginning of each term was rescinded by City Council in a May 2014 decision.)

Further decision history related to salary, pension and benefits for members of Council are contained in City Council November 2002 meeting minutes.

Councillors are provided with a staff salary envelope. The staffing budget may increase each year according to the cost of living adjustment that is provided to City of Toronto non-union employees, as approved by City Council.

If the requirements for staff payroll exceed the staff salary budget envelope, Councillors can use their Constituency Services and Office Budget to supplement the funding required.

Councillors cannot transfer salary budget between years or use their Staffing Budget to pay for office expenses.

Benefits for Councillor staff are budgeted and accounted for separately. Mayor’s Office staff are funded from the Mayor’s annual operating budget.

Members other than the Mayor can hire full-time or part-time staff in any combination from the following five staff positions:

Position 2024 salary Hourly rate
Executive Assistant $50,213.80 – $94,348.80 $27.59 – $51.84
Constituency Assistant $41,368.60 – $78,205.40 $22.73 – $42.97
Administrative Assistant, Level 2 $41,368.60 – $78,205.40 $22.73 – $42.97
Administrative Assistant, Level 1 $31,631.60 – $59,350.20 $17.38 – $32.61
Councillor’s Aide $16.20 per hour

Subject to City Council approval, the salary range may increase annually with the cost of living adjustment, if any, approved for nonunion staff.

Mayor’s Office positions and salary ranges are distinct from Councillor staff positions and salary ranges.

See job descriptions.

The Council General Expense Budget is used to fund centralized support and resources for all Members, as well as individual Members expenses as approved by Council, including legal fees, newsletters and more.

The Code of Conduct for Members of Council states that no Member shall accept a fee, advance, gift or personal benefit that is connected directly or indirectly with the performance of his or her duties of office unless permitted by the exceptions listed in the Code.

Two types of gifts are permitted:

  • Sponsorships and donations for community events organized or run by a Member or a third party on behalf of a Member, subject to the limitations set out in the Policy on Council Member-Organized Community Events.
  • Travel paid by a third party in specific circumstances.

Members must NOT accept any gifts or benefits provided by lobbyists or their clients or employers.

Policies along with donations and gifts reported by Members are listed with the Integrity Commissioner.

Members who fulfill an official capacity with a municipal organization of which the City is a member are reimbursed for their travel costs for Board and Committee meetings from the Council Business Travel Budget.

Reports are updated quarterly.

Members hold an official capacity with a municipal organization if they have been elected or appointed to the executive, board, section executive, task force, and/or committees. The list of organizations may change from time to time.

The City is currently a member of the following municipal organizations:

  • Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM)
  • Ontario Good Roads Association (OGRA)

The Mayor or a Councillor designated by Mayor to attend meetings and conferences of mayoral membership organizations will have the costs paid from the Council Business Travel Budget. The list of organizations may change from time to time.

The Mayor is currently a member of the following organizations:

  • Ontario Big City Mayors (OBCM)
  • Mayor and Regional Chairs of Ontario (MARCO)
  • The Big Cities Mayor’s Caucus (BCMC)
  • C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group
  • United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG)
  • Metropolis (World Association of Major Metropolises)
  • The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative
  • GTHA Mayors and Chairs

Members who are not Board or Committee members of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and incur travel costs associated with attending the Annual Conference of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities may be reimbursed for these costs from the Council Business Travel Budget.

For more information on requirements for flights or other transportation, hotel bookings, per diems, claiming expenses and other guidelines, see Travel-Conferences, Seminars and Business Trips in section 7 of the Members of Council Operations Policy.

Any Member of Council who attends an out-of-province conference is required to submit a report to the City Clerk on the specific meetings and conferences attended, with confirmation as to whether they remained for each session.