'Sunshine List' continues to swell in York Region

Province 'singularly focused' on COVID-19 response, but released annual list of public sector workers earning $100,000 or more March 19 to remain accountable to public tax dollars

Yorkregion.com
March 23, 2020
Heidi Riedner

Amid daily, almost hourly, coronavirus updates, press conferences and new directives, the province released its annual "Sunshine List" of public sector workers who made more than $100,000 last year.

"Our government's priority is the health and safety of all Ontarians, and we are singularly focused on our response to the COVID-19 pandemic," said Peter Bethlenfalvy, president of the Treasury Board, who is himself in isolation with symptoms of the virus.

"However, our government has also made commitments to the people of Ontario on transparency, accountability and respecting their tax dollars."

Five of the top earners in the province on the list released Friday, March 20 worked for Ontario Power Generation.

Former CEO, Jeffrey Lyash, who made $938,845.89 topping the 2019 list, marked the fourth year in a row in which he was the highest earner.

Municipal chief executive officers, hospital presidents and top-ranking officials, as well as fire and police personnel, dominate top wage earners in York.

That includes MacKenzie Health president and chief administrative officer Altaf Stationwala ($540,714.61), Southlake Regional Health Centre's president and CEO Andrea Krystal ($444,960) and Markham-Stouffville Hospital president Jo-Anne Marr ($414,642.49).

York Region chief administrative officer Bruce Macgregor pulled in $312,639.55, with Police Chief Eric Jolliffee bringing in $326,748.81.

Municipal chief administrative officer salaries reflect both outgoing and incoming individuals to the role in 2019, with Georgina's reflecting the top combined incomes with outgoing chief administrative officer Winanne Grant earning $312,639.55 and incoming Dave Reddon's salary at $242,535.15.

Other municipalities that split pay between two CAOs included Whitchurch-Stouffville's Roman Martiuk ($128,873.43) and Robert Adams ($107,439.75) and King Township's Susan Plamondon ($206,737.96) and Daniel Kostopoulos ($183,153.88).

Vaughan's interim city manager Timothy Simmonds earned $313,764.16, while Richmond Hill's city manager Neil Garbe earned $294,728.45, followed by Markham chief administrative officer Andrew Taylor at $293,777.86 and East Gwillimbury chief administrative officer Tom Webster at $229,834.98.

The City of Markham, which is York's largest municipality, added 76 more employees to the list between 2018 and 2019, going from 301 to 377 positions earning $100,000 or more.

In addition to 70 more positions making the $100,000 benchmark in the fire services, accounting for the highest jump, six more full-time and contract positions met the threshold.

By law, the annual public sector salary disclosure must be done by March 31.

Inflation is a main reason that the Sunshine List continues to swell each year -- the most recent list by 10.4 per cent.

Introduced in 1996 by former Tory premier Mike Harris, the threshold for inclusion has never been adjusted.

According to the Bank of Canada, the equivalent of $100,000 in 1996 would have been $152,670 last year.

By law, the annual public sector salary disclosure must be done by March 31.

The act applies to the provincial government, Crown agencies and corporations, Ontario Power Generation and subsidiaries, publicly funded organizations such as hospitals, municipalities, school boards, universities and colleges, and not-for-profit organizations that receive $1 million or more, or receive between $120,000 and $1 million if the funding they receive is 10 per cent or more of their gross revenues.

"We have taken positive steps and seen real results, but we must continue working hard to ensure each dollar spent gets the best results for Ontarians," said Bethlenfalvy. "Our government has a prudent and responsible plan to manage the province's finances and make sure we have the fiscal flexibility to deal with any challenge."

The complete 2019 data is available at Ontario.ca/salarydisclosure.