As the cost of living continues to climb and many families in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) feel the pressure, you might be curious about how much money local leaders are making compared to that.
Throughout the region, city leaders are drawing significant salaries, often well above what one would consider a typical living wage. Most of the figures mentioned here come from city council expense reports as well as the Ontario Sunshine List, which reveals names, salaries, and taxable benefits of public sector workers earning over $100,000.
From Pickering to Mississauga, let’s take a look at how much mayors across the GTA earn each year.
Toronto
In 2022, former Mayor John Tory earned $202,818, which is a slight rise from $197,316 in 2021. By 2024, Mayor Olivia Chow’s salary is listed at $225,304.04 on the City’s website. Currently, Toronto city councillors make $133,776.24 annually with their earnings adjusted for inflation.
At present, Toronto City Council members don’t receive extra pay for serving on boards or commissions.
Brampton
According to the Ontario Sunshine List for 2023, Brampton’s Mayor Patrick Brown earned $149,022 along with $19,059 in benefits. His salary was slightly lower in 2022 at $146,820 plus $18,109 in benefits.
Brown was notably the only member of Brampton’s city council to appear on the Sunshine List for his salary and benefits this year.
Mississauga
In 2023, former Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie received $128,862.57 and had benefits amounting to $30,385.20 based on the City’s remuneration report. This represents a drop from her 2022 earnings of $146,198.
Councillors in Mississauga take home an annual salary of $94,704.42 with benefits ranging from $9,346.83 to $25,752.03.
Vaughan
This year (2023), Vaughan’s Mayor Steven Del Duca made $201,652 along with an additional $15,337 in benefits according to the Sunshine List. This shows an increase from former Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua’s 2022 earnings of $172,943 and his previous year’s income of $194,120.
Markham
Frank Scarpitti has been Markham’s mayor longer than anyone else; he earned $278473 in 2023 along with $23 946 in benefits. In 2022 his salary was reported at $268470. In Markham’s municipal council members can also receive more pay for participating on committees.
The roles Scarpitti holds include Chair of York Region Rapid Transit Corporation (VIVA Transit), Co-Chair of New Inclusion Table and Vice-Chair of Transportation Services for York Region.
Pickering
This year (2023), Pickering’s Mayor Kevin Ashe who also serves on Durham Regional Council took home $124138.77 and enjoyed $25 124.74 worth of benefits according to information from Ontario Sunshine List.
