Niverville Mayor Myron DyckNiverville Town Council is moving forward with a plan to increase wages for town employees and council members in 2019.

Mayor Myron Dyck says council gave first reading to two remuneration bylaws during their town council meeting on Tuesday.

"One was for staff, as per policy we based it on cost of living increase and so that is going to be 2.1% so it adds about $23,000 to our budget for next year. We gave first reading to it, of course, it needs second and third reading so we will see if that carries through."

Dyck says the increase in council pay was triggered by a change at the federal level. He notes until now, 1/3 of councils wages was tax exempt but due to a shift in policy, the whole sum is now taxable. He notes even though they are moving forward with an increase, council will not be taking any more home.

"Councils across the country are going to have to deal with either taking 1/3 less in terms of take-home because of the tax implications on it or to up the gross and still the same take home, or some kind of decision in between that. What council has given first reading to here today is that they are going to increase the gross so the take-home pay for mayor and council is the same."

The increase in council wages will add $14,044 to the 2019 budget if approved.