Councillors are in the process of deciding on the pay rise, which would see their earnings go from $26,000 a year to $35,000. If approved, the mayor's salary and allowances will also jump from $71,000 a year to $87,000, a near 23 per cent raise.

Two weeks ago, councillors voted eight to four in favour of the pay increase, with Bruce Grandy, Mark Peters, Steven Hicks and Margo Sheppard voting against. 

But at Monday night's council meeting, Coun. Jocelyn Pike joined the dissenters, further closing the gap. 

In an emailed statement to CBC, Pike said she had taken note of how residents in her ward are struggling. 

"I could not then vote yes in good conscience," she said. "I would support a gradual increase over a period of time to give us parity with Saint John and Moncton."

Third and final reading is on Feb. 7, and should one more councillor decide to vote against the motion, Mayor Kate Rogers will have to cast the deciding vote to break the tie. 

In an interview with reporters after the council meeting, Rogers wouldn't say how she would vote but said she's given it a lot of thought. 

"Every time that this item has been discussed, I've given great thought to it. I've read the report extensively," she said. "I'm now in my third council and I can tell you it's been discussed at every council and so I've given a lot of thought to the issue."

Fredericton Mayor Kate Rogers says the proposed raise would bring councillors up to the median wage range for the province. (Jon Collicott/CBC)

After the federal government axed a tax break that municipal politicians received for part of their income in 2019, an independent review recommended council get a pay raise that would see their earnings brought in line with comparable municipalities in the region.

At the time, that meant an increase of 13.5 per cent in the mayor's salary and 29 per cent in councillor paycheques.

"There were really two goals," said Rogers, "One, to bring us to that median standard. And secondly, it's an acknowledgement of how much this work has changed since 2010." 

Rogers said she didn't see the need for a gradual increase. 

"We need to hit reset just to bring this current council up to the median level of the Maritime provinces. We need to hit reset just to acknowledge what council work looks like now… So it doesn't make much sense to me that that be done gradually."

The increase for all of council would amount to about $130,000.