Stouffville's Pourvahidi highest paid chief administrative officer in Ontario, despite absence
Pourvahidi was paid a salary of $447,289.27 in 2016

yorkregion.com
April 4, 2017
By Ali Raza

Former Whitchurch-Stouffville chief administrative officer Marc Pourvahidi was the highest-paid municipal chief administrative officer in Ontario in 2016 - despite not being on the job most of the year.

According to the Ontario "Sunshine List" for public sector salary disclosure, Pourvahidi was paid a salary of $447,289.27 for 2016.

A press release issued by the town regarding Pourvahidi says little about why he was paid such a high amount - in 2015, Pourvahidi received $189,314.88.

“The role of the chief administrative officer is the highest-compensated position at the town,” the release says. “All issues related to Pourvahidi’s employment with the town have been amicably resolved.”

“Given that this is an employment-related matter, the town is unable to comment any further,” the release ends.

It was in late April 2016 that Pourvahidi went on sick leave and then administrative leave due to a “personnel matter”. Since the town press release stated the duration of his leave as “unknown”, Whitchurch-Stouffville shuffled through acting CAOs for the remainder of 2016.

Pourvahidi was eventually dismissed on Nov. 18, 2016. He was employed with the town as chief administrative officer from March 2015 to November 2016. His total tenure with the town lasted 20 years during which he served in many senior management roles including director of finance/treasurer.

As of April 2017, almost a year after Pourvahidi’s administrative leave, the town is still without an official chief administrative officer.

Fire chief Rob McKenzie served as acting chief administrative officer for two weeks before leisure services director Rob Raycroft took over the acting position in May 2016.

Raycroft announced his resignation from the post in December 2016. He remains acting chief administrative officer while the town uses the services of Organization Consulting Ltd. to hire an “interim chief administrative officer” as posted on the town’s employment page online.

Thirty-four other town employees made the list including McKenzie ($154,962.81) and Raycroft - who is listed as acting chief administrative officer ($171,512.29). The list includes 20 firefighters, captains and officers.