Letter to the editor: Township Pay Raises

Dear Editor

A pay raise … seriously, in this pandemic? I find it difficult to believe the Town Council would vote for a pay raise!

Over 1,000,000 residents in Ontario are unemployed. Many workers who are still employed are working reduced hours at reduced pay, and for those who are fortunate enough to have retained their full-time employment, countless companies are freezing salaries and/or forfeiting employee bonuses.

If that is not enough for the Council to pass on a raise, then they should look at the overall economy, particularly in our small town where small businesses and restaurants are struggling to stay alive! Food banks have seen a surge in clients. I have to ask, what world are you living in when you feel entitled to a pay raise? What message are you communicating to the residents of Scugog?

To ‘raise’ or ‘not to raise’ is not about reducing our taxes (please) nor should it be about ‘going backwards’! For me, it is an ethical choice given the circumstances in which we are living.

Mayor Bobbie Drew encouraged that you give back to charities of your choice. To suggest that you passed the motion under this pretense sounds to me like a justification. A raise is not required to give back to our community!

Mary-Anne Matthews, Scugog

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