Pay raise goes to charity
Councillor donates extra $5,700 in salary, 'keeps promise'

By: Kelly Patrick

Back in September, when City Hall was in the early throes of the election campaign, more than 40 candidates signed a pledge to reject the 8.9% pay raise council gave itself last July and instead accept only a cost-of-living increase.

The pledge was the brainchild of wannabe mayor Jane Pitfield. Only seven of its signatories won seats on council: Six incumbents and newcomer Chin Lee of Ward 41, Scarborough-Rouge River.

This week, the pledge popped back into the news when Mike Del Grande (Ward 39 Scarborough-Agincourt) laid out for the Scarborough Mirror the list of charities to which he had donated his extra $5,700 in salary.

(The increase, which took effect Jan. 1, raised councillors' annual salary to $95,000 from$87,214. The hike passed by the thinnest of margins -- 22 to 21 -- after Councillor Raymond Cho (Ward 42, Scarborough-Rouge River) spoke against it then skipped the vote to attend a meeting in his ward.)

Mr. Del Grande donated to 12 groups in amounts ranging from $100 to $1,600.

"I wanted people to know I kept my promise," Mr. Del Grande told the National Post in an interview, adding the $5,700 was over and above what he normally contributes to worthy causes every year.

Mr. Del Grande said he plans to keep donating his salary increase to charity as long as he is in office, but this is the only year he will make his contributions public.

"Other politicians aren't held to that standard," he said, referring to his provincial and federal cousins. "I shouldn't be dictated to."

So how did the other six pledge-takers fare?

Michael Walker (Ward 22, St. Paul's) moved a motion, seconded by Cliff Jenkins (Ward 25 Don Valley-West,) at February council to axe the hike, but it was referred to the executive committee's March 26 meeting.

There, the committee members voted to "take note and file" the idea--council speak for killing it.

Mr. Walker said he would wait until the end of the year to see if the scheme can be revived. If it can't, he plans to "impose" the pay cut on himself by asking city staff to dock his salary and readjust it to reflect a cost-of-living increase.

A bashful Mr. Jenkins admitted he is pocketing the raise. "I have to be honest," he said. "Please don't kill me on this."

Mr. Lee also said he is taking the raise, but that, like all the other pledge-takers, he would vote to rescind it if given the opportunity.

The others were not quite so forthcoming.

Rob Ford (Ward 2 Etobicoke North) Frances Nunziata (Ward 11 York-South Weston) and Cesar Palacio (Ward 17 Davenport) have accepted the raise, but pointed to the laundry lists of the charities they contribute to annually.

All three gave generously before the raise. They could not point to specific extra donations they have made over and above to compensate for the salary increase the way Mr. Del Grande claims he has.

Still, Mr. Ford said there wasn't any need to count it up that way. "The more I make, the more I give away," he said.

Ms. Nunziata also said she is giving more this year to sports teams, seniors? groups and others in her ward. Besides, added the frugal councillor, with all the money she loses in taxes, the raise has barely affected her take-home pay.