St. John’s still pays councillors the most

By Staff/August 12, 2021

Comedian Bob Hope once quipped, “I love to go to Washington, if only to be near my money.” 

Well, if you want be close to where some of your tax dollars are spent, and get a chance to even earn some of them back, running for municipal office might be the solution – if you live in CBS, Paradise, Holyrood, St. John’s or Mount Pearl.

All five municipalities pay their local political leaders for the benefit of their guidance and time, some more than others.

In St. John’s, the mayor makes a considerable $129,672 a year. Mount Pearl pays the person who dons the chain of office $57,974 a year in quarterly installments of $14,493. In Paradise, the mayor’s job pays $45,252 a year. In Conception Bay South, where council’s total remuneration is held to less than two per cent of the town’s total fixed revenue, the person referred to as “your Worship” earns 46,079, while the Mayor of Holyrood – and the Deputy Mayor too it turns out – is paid $10,897 per annum.

The Deputy Mayor of St. John’s collects $60,114, while the Deputy in Mount Pearl is paid $43,086. Their counterparts in Paradise and CBS make 36,684 and 32,085 respectively.

Councillors in St. John’s are paid $46,526, while councillors in Mount Pearl collect $38,646. In Paradise, councillors are paid $35,736. CBS councillors get $30,142. Holyrood pays its councillors $9,397 each.