TOA to become the first Durham Municipality to provide

honorariums to its Advisory Committees

November 09, 2022

For the 2022 - 2026 Committee and Board term, the Town of Ajax will be providing
honorariums to the members of its Advisory Committees, making it the first municipality in the
Regional Municipality of Durham to do so.

Previously, the Town has provided honorariums to its three Quasi-Judicial Boards and the Ajax
Anti-Black Racism Taskforce. Assigning value as well to the contributions of time, expertise,
and lived experience of advisory committee members, in the form of honoraria, upholds the
Town’s reputational leadership for good governance, progressive policy development, diversity,
and inclusion. Honorariums are also anticipated to remove barriers to participation, encourage
retention of membership throughout the four-year appointment and support diverse engagement
of marginalized communities.

The Town currently has two statutory Advisory Committees in place:

 Accessibility Advisory Committee

 Heritage Advisory Committee

Members of these advisory committees, as well as the Ajax Public Library Board, will join the
following boards and bodies in receiving honoraria:

 Committee of Adjustment
 Property Standards/Animal Services Appeals Committee
 Joint Municipal Election Compliance Audit Committee
 Ajax Anti-Black Racism Task Force

The Town looks forward to the upcoming term with its advisory committees and boards for
future community engagement, opportunity building, and assisting staff with decision-making
processes while providing honorariums to its members for their hard work, dedication and
support throughout the four years. Details of appointment opportunities will be made available in
early January 2023, through the Town’s website and social media channels.

Quotes
“In preparation for the next Council term, staff recently conducted a comprehensive review of
honorarium rates provided to members of Committees & Boards by comparable municipalities.
The tiered honoraria schedule for the Town’s Committee & Board structure, which will include
our advisory committees, sets an equitable remuneration framework for Committees and Boards
based on the scope of responsibility for each body and works to eliminate barriers to
participation and engagement.” – Sarah Moore, Legislative Specialist, Town of Ajax
“We value our advisory committees as much as our boards, as they provide Council and staff
with additional and personal insight into the concerns and ambitions that Ajax residents have
for their Town. We encourage other municipalities to follow suit with compensating all of their
advisory committees, as the discussion, feedback, contributions, dedication, and work that goes
into being an active and collaborative community member is at the core of what municipal
government is all about. We have formed and accomplished many initiatives this Council term
due to the contributions of our passionate committee and board members and look forward to
the next.” – Mayor Shaun Collier, Town of Ajax

Quick Facts
 Council establishes advisory committees each term to provide advice to Council and
staff on focused matters of local interest and importance and provide feedback and
recommendations on the Town’s programs, policies, services and initiatives.
 Quasi-Judicial Boards’ duties are prescribed by legislation and serve tribunal-type
functions.
 Committee and Board meetings are typically held monthly and are 1-2 hours in
duration. Most advisory committee members also attend at least one subcommittee
meeting and/or participate in community events in addition to the monthly meeting.
 The implementations stated herein align with the following focus areas of the 2018-
2022 Stronger Together: Strategic Plan – Investing in our
community, undertaking key corporate reviews and strategies, leading in our
community and strengthening corporate governance and innovation.

Learn More
 Committees and Boards
 Town of Ajax Report – Committee & Board Honoraria (Page 96-101)