This issue failed to elicit extensive discussion, with most of the debate focusing on the 17.02% increase on the salary line. As the discourse continued, library Chief Executive Officer Tammy Robinson joined the meeting by Zoom to offer clarity on this item, which she attributed to pay equity requirements.

Robinson referred to extensive meetings with Director of Community Services Brian Geerts and discussions Treasurer Adam Giddings had had with the town solicitor.

“The library is on the pay equity plan with the town,” she stated, which Giddings confirmed had been the case since 2005,

“It was determined at that time the library would be following Town of Cobourg practices as a comparator for its pay structure,” Giddings said.

Cleveland said in 2005, there were male-female issues that should not exist in 2025. Robinson said pay equity is now a means of ensuring parity between town and library employees.

Much of that increase is related to salary as opposed to a raise, Robinson said – OMERS costs, for instance, Raises are more on the order of 4% to 12%.

Chief Administrative Officer Tracey Vaughan explained that this is a incredibly complicated issue, but said that “absolutely, pay equity always has to be maintained.”

Vaughan added, however, that every employer has a responsibility to review comparators frequently – to be sure that a job that has changed and evolved is still being likened to an appropriate comparator

The library will be asked to have that second look at its budget in time to submit a revised version for the Dec. 18 meeting of council.