WHAT CITY COUNCIL TAKES HOME

 Candidates & Public Information

Considering Running For Council??

What Does Nanaimo Council Actually Take Home?

Anyone thinking about running for Nanaimo council in 2026 should go in with their eyes open. So should the taxpayers who pay the bill.

Nanaimo city council is commonly described as a part-time council, but the compensation is not pocket change.

In 2024, the base pay for a Nanaimo councillor was reported at approximately $52,014, while the mayor’s base pay was approximately $131,790.

Councillors who also sit as Regional District of Nanaimo directors receive additional remuneration from the RDN. In 2024, that additional compensation was reported in the range of roughly $26,500 to $29,200 for city councillors serving on the regional board.

That means a councillor who receives both City of Nanaimo pay and RDN director pay can be in the neighbourhood of $78,000 per year before taxes. The mayor’s total compensation can be substantially higher.

City council also voted in 2026 to retain the existing policy of increasing mayor and council salaries to median rates based on the 2025 remuneration survey, effective November 1, 2026, and to continue applying annual B.C. CPI increases to base compensation, capped at 2% per year.

So what does that mean in actual take-home pay?

For illustration, using 2026 B.C. payroll assumptions, here are rough take-home estimates for a single person living in British Columbia, with no dependants, no RRSP deductions, no special tax credits, no pension deductions, no union dues and no benefit deductions.

These estimates include only regular statutory deductions: federal tax, B.C. tax, CPP/CPP2 and EI.

Estimated Take-Home Pay

Gross Annual Income	Estimated Annual Take-Home	Estimated Monthly Take-Home
$78,000	about $60,000	about $5,000/month
$161,500	about $114,200	about $9,500/month

These are estimates only. Individual results would vary depending on pension contributions, RRSP deductions, other income, personal tax credits, benefits, union dues, charitable donations, and other personal circumstances.

The purpose of this comparison is not to argue that public office should be unpaid. It should not be.

Serving on council requires time, preparation, public accountability, meetings, committee work, reading reports, answering residents, and making decisions involving hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars.

But the public should understand the scale of compensation involved.

A Nanaimo councillor receiving both City and RDN remuneration may be earning roughly the equivalent of a solid full-time private-sector salary, even though the council role is still generally referred to as part-time.

A mayor’s compensation is higher again.

Why This Matters

First, anyone running for office should understand that this is not volunteer work. Candidates should be prepared to treat the role seriously, do the homework, attend the meetings, read the reports, question staff recommendations, and represent taxpayers with diligence.

Second, taxpayers have every right to expect performance, accountability, preparation, and independent judgment from those they elect.

Compensation at these levels should come with a clear expectation: council members are not there simply to rubber-stamp staff reports or represent City Hall back to the public.

They are elected to represent the public at City Hall.

The real question is not whether council should be paid.
The real question is whether taxpayers are getting full value for the money.

Points to Ponder

“If council compensation reflects serious responsibility, should taxpayers not expect serious scrutiny of every dollar spent?”

“When a part-time council earns full-time-level compensation, the public has every right to expect full attention to the public interest.”

“The question is not whether elected officials should be paid. The question is whether taxpayers are getting value.”

Sources for compensation figures include public reporting and City of Nanaimo council remuneration policy information. Take-home estimates are approximate and based on 2026 B.C. payroll assumptions for a single person with no special deductions.