While lower paying jobs were lost by the thousands and private sector companies were forced to deal with increasingly tight budgets, the number of Ontario public sector employees making over $100,000 a year was on the rise again in 2009.
The total, up 19% over 2008, includes 16 Wellington County employees, eight from Centre Wellington, two from Guelph-Eramosa Township and one each from Erin and Puslinch.
At $280,000, Waterloo-Wellington Local Health Integration Network CEO Sandra Hanmer tops the local list, which also includes 138 school board employees (up from 95), 16 from conservation authorities, 12 from the Community Care Access Centre, 11 in the field of health care and promotion and seven from the Children’s Aid Society.
On March 31, the Ministry of Finance released its annual “Sunshine List” of public sector employees who received a 2009 salary over $100,000 before taxes, as well as their total taxable benefits.
The goal of the legislation on which the list is based is to make the public sector more open and accountable, allow taxpayers to compare the performance of an organization with the compensation given to its employees, and provide taxpayers with more details on how their tax dollars are spent.
In three years, the number of individuals on the list has grown by 91% – from 33,440 in 2006 to 63,837 in 2009 – which may upset some people, including officials with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF).
“The salaries are only the tip of the iceberg for compensation. On top of this are job security and lucrative pensions for life that kick in early,” said Kevin Gaudet, federal director of the CTF.
“There is an increasing divide between those who work in the private sector and those privileged and protected workers in the public sector. This has to end.”
The lengthy list of local members of the $100,000 club includes the following 16 county employees (up from nine in 2008):
– Daniel Halk, technology services manager, $100,573;
– Richard Dale, construction manager, $101,119;
– Paul Johnson, operations manager, $101,665;
– Jill Mainland, manager of resident care at the Wellington Terrace, $101,782;
– Eddie Alton, social services administrator, $101,896;
– Eleanor Morris, director of nursing at the Wellington Terrace, $106,501;
– Douglas Konrad, solid waste services manager, $108,625;
– Kevin Mulholland, construction and property manager, $109,574;
– Bonnie Callen, county museum and Wellington Place administrator, $123,652;
– Gary Cousins, director of planning and development, $123,652;
– Janice Hindley, chief librarian, $123,652;
– Andrea Lawson, human resources administrator, $123,652;
– Craig Dyer, treasurer, $134,556;
– Gord Ough, engineer, $134,556;
– Peter Barnes, administrator of the Wellington Terrace, $134,825; and
– Scott Wilson, chief administrative officer, $181,498.
There were four members of the $100,000 club in Centre Wellington last year. This year that number has doubled to eight, including:
– Robert Foster, chief building official, $100,882;
– Brett Salmon, planning director, $100,921;
– Marion Morris, clerk, $101,697;
– Brad Patton, Fire Chief, $106,891;
– Andrew Goldie, director of parks and recreation, $107,870;
– Ken Elder, Director of Public Works, $112,031;
– Wes Snarr, Treasurer, $122,805 (up 17% from $104,751 in 2008); and
– Michael Wood, Chief Administrative Officer, $136,860.
Other employees on the list from lower tier municipalities in the county (none of whom were on the list for 2008) include:
– Brenda Law, chief administrative officer and clerk and treasurer with Puslinch, $103,166;
– Ken Gagnon, manager of public works with Guelph-Eramosa, $104,097;
– Lisa Hass, town manager with Erin, $104,662; and
– Janice Sheppard, chief administrative officer with Guelph-Eramosa, $107,948.
Ted Arnott, MPP Wellington Halton Hills and the legislature’s vice chairman of the standing committee on public accounts, made $127,990. John Wilkinson, MPP for Pert-Wellington and Minister of Revenue, made $165,851.04
There are 36 Wellington Catholic District School Board employees in the $100,000 club (up from 31 for 2008), with salaries ranging from $100,653 to $179,640 for Director Don Drone.
At $201,277, Director Martha Rogers tops the list of 102 (up 59% from 64) Upper Grand District School Board employees making over $100,000.
Members in the health care field making over $100,000 include:
– Karl Ellis, VP of corporate services and chief financial officer for Groves Memorial Community Hospital and the North Wellington Health Care Corporation (NWHCC), $133,239;
– Sherri Ferguson, chief human resources officer for Groves and NWHCC, $101,392;
– Marsha Martin, director of finance for Groves, NWHCC, $100,279;
– Angela Stanley, manager of patient care for NWHCC, $100,999;
– Diane Wilkinson, VP of clinical services for Groves and NWHCC, $127,745; and
– Jerome Quenneville, CEO, Groves and NWHCC, $201,710.
Members from the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health Unit are:
– Lynn Beath, director of Community Health and Disease Prevention, $125,580;
– Carole Desmeules, director of Corporate Support Services, $125,580;
– Robert Thompson, director of Health Protection, $125,580;
– Andrea Roberts, director of Child and Family Health, $117,507; and
– Nicola Mercer, acting medical officer of health and chief executive officer, $241,602.
Also included locally are nine employees of the Waterloo-Wellington Local Health Integration Network, whose salaries range from $103,653 to $280,000 for CEO Sandra Hanmer – the highest salary on the local list.
The Grand River Conservation Authority has 10 members (up from eight), whose salaries range from $101,277 to $168,005 for CAO Paul Emerson.
There are six Credit Valley Conservation Authority employees in the club, ranging from $110,710 to $145,885 for CAO Rae Horst.
Seven employees from the Children’s Aid Society of Guelph-Wellington earned more than $100,000 in 2008, with salaries ranging from $101,499 to $146,360 for executive director Daniel Moore.
The Waterloo Wellington Community Care Access Centre boasts 12 members, with salaries from $103,787 to $227,994 for Executive Director David Murray (up 42% from $159,996 in 2008).
Wellington County OPP employees making over $100,000 in 2009 included:
– Staff Sergeant Susan Gray, $101,159;
– Sharon Fisher, of the criminal investigations unit, $101,891;
– Sergeant Bob Uridil, $102,471;
– Staff Sergeant Jack Hunjan, $104,178;
– Det. Sergeant Mary Louise Kearns, $108,300;
– Inspector Scott Smith, $119,769; and
– Sergeant Michael Ashley, $124,102.
For the complete 2009 Sunshine List of public sector employees making at least $100,000 visit fin.gov.on.ca.
