We often hear that elected officials are “overpaid” or “underpaid.” To get an idea, I compiled the annual salaries of all municipal councilors in Quebec and ranked them from highest to lowest, as well as the salary per capita.
The data comes from the MAMH (2023), as used in the December 2023 article in the Journal de Montréal.
You can also consult the 2024 salaries in the September 19, 2025 article in the Journal de Montréal; however, the councilors of North Hatley are not included.
Ranking — annual salary
Our elected representatives appear in positions: 2318, 2529, 2671, 2756, 3203, and 3323rd out of 5,494.
Ranking — annual salary per capita
Our elected representatives appear in positions: 249, 297, 353, 402, 619, and 679 out of 5,494.
Noteworthy fact: nearly 200 city councilors in Quebec earn more than $70,000 per year.
Salaries of our advisors (2025)
In North Hatley, in 2025, councilors earn approximately $8,284.29 per year, plus $76.44 per special meeting. Income from participation in board meetings and MRC meetings may be added to this income.
Expense allowance: $4,193.93 (annual total: $12,478.22).
PLEASE NOTE: Expense allowances are not income, but reimbursement for expenses already incurred by the municipal councilor.
Source: Bylaw 2024-765 — Compensation of Council Members (Municipality of the Village of North Hatley).
Are they paid enough?
In my opinion, no—considering the scope of the tasks and the stress associated with social pressure, even in a municipality with 675–690 residents. I would say that the situation can be even more difficult in a small village like North Hatley, since you rub shoulders with residents every day while taking your daily walk.
The real question is: should it be a quasi-volunteer position serving the community, or a properly paid position to attract more high-caliber applicant
If we want to broaden the pool of candidates and stimulate municipal engagement, I believe that an increase in remuneration is necessary. The low number of candidates and the high proportion of uncontested elections suggest that current salaries are not attractive enough. Obviously, the social media environment also plays a deterrent role.
In short, we need to rethink our practices to attract more candidates, diversify the council, and strengthen our democracy.
Table showing the annual remuneration of Quebec city councilors (2023)
Table showing the annual remuneration per citizen (per capita) of Quebec city councilors (2023)
