Edson town council has approved an increase to the remuneration for mayor and councillors, which will go into effect in 2026 following the upcoming municipal election.
The increase brings councillor salaries to $32,500 from $31,500 and the mayor’s salary to $65,000 from $54,700.
Initially, administration recommended an increase to $40,188 annually for councillors and $78,144 for the mayor, which would have moved the town into the 50th percentile for compensation.
Administration rationale pointed to a need to ensure fair and competitive compensation compared to similar municipalities, attract and retain qualified candidates and avoid falling behind, which could lead to larger, less palatable increases down the road.
After much discussion, council determined a move to the 50th percentile is too great an increase at this time and reduced the increase.
Officials say the cost-of-living increase applied to this remuneration will be consistent with that applied to out-of-scope municipal staff.
