Victoria council approves 25 per cent pay hike. Here's how much councillors will make

The entrance to city hall in Victoria, B.C. (CTV News)

City councillors in Victoria have voted themselves a 25 per cent pay hike, adding just over $13,000 to each councillor's annual remuneration.

The raise is set to take effect in May, boosting councillor salaries from the current $52,420 to $65,525 annually.

Coun. Jeremy Caradonna tabled the motion to increase council pay to half of the mayor's salary, which will remain at $131,050, arguing the job of councillor is not a part-time endeavour.

The move came after a pair of consultant reports suggested Victoria council pay lagged behind other cities in British Columbia and across Canada.

The latest report from Drive Organizational Development Ltd. was submitted late last month and found the median pay for councillors in 18 Canadian cities was $55,700, while the median pay in B.C. was $55,500.

The report followed an earlier finding from consulting company MNP, which recommended council adopt a policy of regularly reviewing remuneration rates for the next elected council so that sitting councillors could avoid the optics of voting for their own pay hikes.

While Victoria taxpayers are facing an 8.37 per cent increase in property taxes this year, council pay accounts for only a fraction of a percentage of the city's annual budget.

Still, Mayor Marianne Alto told Thursday's council meeting she believes it is "never appropriate for any agency" to vote itself a raise "under any circumstance."

Alto was joined by councillors Stephen Hammond and Marg Gardiner in opposing the remuneration hike.

Caradonna, along with councillors Matt Dell, Susan Kim, Krista Loughton and Dave Thompson all voted in favour of the motion, while Coun. Chris Coleman was absent from the vote.

The adopted motion also directs city staff to report back within three months on options to improve the benefits packages for councillors.