220 employees of Town of Richmond Hill on Sunshine List

CAO and mayor top earners

Yorkregion.com
March 24, 2016
By Kim Zarzour

The Town of Richmond Hill saw a big bump in the number of employees who made it to the Sunshine List in 2015.

The annually released list of highest-paid public-sector employees showed 221 town staff earned more than $100,000 last year - up from 140 the year before.

Mayor Dave Barrow said the increase may be due to changing circumstances for some employee groups, including the fact that firefighters settled their contract well after it expired and received back pay that tipped them over the $100,000 mark.

In 2015, 83 first class firefighters made the list, compared to just six last year.

Richmond Hill’s highest-level civil servant, former CAO Joan Anderton, once again topped the list, taking in a salary of $290,462 in 2015.

Anderton, who retired last year, earned more than Markham’s CAO Andy Taylor (at $260,000) and Vaughan’s city manager Clayton Harris (at $256,000).

Mayor Barrow pulled in $174,281 plus $3,001 in benefits last year. Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti was the top-earning mayor in the province ($187,130 plus $18,840 benefits). Vaughan’s Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua brought home $176,920 plus $6,168 benefits.

Six Richmond Hill employees earned more than Barrow, as follows:

Commissioner of Community Services Shane Baker - $215,704 plus $8,476;

Commissioner of Planning and Regulatory Affairs Ana Bassios - $206,948 plus $8,316;

Commissioner of Corporate and Financial Services Dave Dexter - $196,429 plus $6,124;

Commissioner of Environment and Infrastructure Services Stephen Fick - $187,653 plus $8,940;

Fire Chief Steve Kraft - $184,448 plus $4,204; and,

Platoon Chief Paul Morris - $176,163 plus $675.

"This is a list that has been controversial for some time," said Barrow of the provincial top wage earners.
"Staff salaries seem to be an issue, but if you want the brightest and best working for your town, then those people demand those salaries."

Barrow said the municipality is constantly competing with both the private sector and public sector to fill management positions.

"Sometimes we are not successful because of our salary levels not being adequate."

MACKENZIE HEALTH

At Mackenzie Health, 10 hospital employees earned more than double the minimum threshold to make the Sunshine List.

The chief nursing executive and chief practice officer, chief human resources officer, vice president strategy and redevelopment, executive vice president and chief operating officer and director of laboratory services joined CEO Altaf Stationwala in earning more than $200,000 plus $14,000 in benefits in 2015, and three pathologists - Sari Lubelsky, Andrew Sue Chue Lam and John Lentz - earned more than $300,000.

A total of 180 employees at Mackenzie Health made the list this year, compared to 133 last year.