Despite dipping into reserves to reduce this year's regional tax increase to 3.8 per cent, regional councillors weren't willing to take a pay cut.

As councillors chipped away at Niagara Region's 2019 budget Thursday — supporting a motion by St. Catharines Mayor Walter Sendzik to use $3 million from Niagara's rate stabilization reserve to reduce taxes — they also reversed a previously approved decision to remove a $198,000 increase in councillor remuneration from the budget.

They voted 21-11 to support a motion, also by Sendzik, to add the increased remuneration back into the budget, intended to offset about $2,800 of lost income councillors face as a result of new tax rules for elected officials.

Although Sendzik said the pay cut that resulted from the decision to remove the funding was a good public relations move on behalf of regional councillors, he said they are already "underpaid for the number of hours we actually work."

"Let's make sure we're getting compensated for the work we're putting in," he added.

Several councillors spoke in favour of putting the $198,000 back in the budget, despite having voted Feb. 14 to remove the funding.

St. Catharines Coun. Kelly Edgar, for instance, said he made a mistake when he voted to remove the funding.

He said expecting councillors to take a pay cut is not a fair comparison with asking residents to tighten their belts when facing a tax increase.

Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati said a lot of councillors voted in favour of the cut "without realizing what they were voting on."

"I didn't hear anyone campaign on a $2,800 pay cut," he argued. "If someone doesn't want to keep it, you can always donate it away. I think it's only fair."

However, St. Catharines Coun. Laura Ip, who introduced the motion to remove the funding on Feb. 14, remained "adamantly opposed to putting it back in."

"I didn't get into politics for money," she said.

"We're asking people to pay more in our taxes. We should not be looking at raises for ourselves — period."

Meanwhile, the Region also managed to reduce its budget hike this year as a result of a decision by the Niagara Regional Police board to defer spending roughly $700,000 until 2020, and while cutting payments to Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority by $1.6 million.

The Region deferred its waterfront program this year for a savings of about $900,000, while obtaining $500,000 in additional federal funding.

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Allan.Benner@niagaradailies.com

905-225-1629 | @abenner1