Provincial Sunshine List not accurate

YorkRegion.com
April 17, 2014
By Sean Pearce

Think the Sunshine List gives you a complete picture of who’s making more than $100,000 in York Region?

Think again.

When the province put out the annual public sector salary disclosure list late last month, the names of just three local mayors were on it. According to the document, Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti made $178,701 last year, while Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua and Richmond Hill Mayor Dave Barrow made $170,054 and $169,690, respectively.

An article published on yorkregion.com and in the Markham Economist & Sun at first incorrectly stated the numbers posted for the three southern-most mayors in the region did not include the roughly $52,000 worth of remuneration they receive for serving on regional council. It has since been corrected.

Curiously, some municipalities include the regional share of a politician’s salary in their total and yet others do not.

A representative for the City of Markham explained each local-tier municipality pays the regional share for its mayor and any regional councillors, but is subsequently reimbursed.

Even so, as the dollars come from Markham, the combined figure is displayed on the T4 and, thus, reported to the province for the purposes of the annual Sunshine List, the city says, adding it views its way of doing things as the correct one.

However, travelling north, you’ll find that Newmarket Mayor Tony Van Bynen, for example, is paid $90,425 by the town and $51,696 in his capacity as a member of regional council. Newmarket does, indeed, fund the regional portion of the salaries for its mayor and regional councillor, human resources director Lynn Georgeff explained, but they’re treated as separate employers and the town receives a reimbursement for doing so.

“Our submission only includes the municipal money paid, so that’s why it wasn’t reflected,” she said, adding she couldn’t speak on behalf of other municipalities and their processes.

A similar answer comes from the Town of Georgina. Director of administrative services and treasurer Rebecca Matthewson explained the region and the town are two separate corporations. Again, the town pays for Mayor Rob Grossi’s local salary of $51,729 and his regional remuneration of $52,228, but is reimbursed by York for the latter, Ms Mathewson said.

Mayor/regional councillor and deputy mayor/regional councillor remuneration is established, approved and paid for by each respective municipality, she said, adding the town discloses only that remuneration over which it has control and pays for.

Whitchurch-Stouffville views things in much the same manner as Newmarket and Georgina.

In 2013, Mayor Wayne Emmerson was paid $48,900 by the town and $51,984 by the region. The town and the region are two separate entities/employers, treasurer Marc Pourvahidi said, adding the town only discloses the portion of remuneration for which it’s responsible.

Members of the regional council are local politicians, but the regional portion of their remuneration is established, approved and paid for by the region, Mr. Pourvahidi said. In the town’s view, the unique arrangement whereby lower-tier municipalities pay the regional remuneration to the mayor and recover it from the region, does not change the local salary range and should not be cumulative, he said.

Aurora spokesperson Michael Kemp explained the town discloses Mayor Geoff Dawe’s salary annually as does the region for its portion. In 2013, Mr. Dawe received $57,549 in his role as mayor and $51,801 in his capacity as a member of regional council.

“Regional salaries are administered, but not paid, at the local tier,” Mr. Kemp said adding one would have to check with the Ministry of Finance regarding specific criteria relating to the province’s disclosure policy.

Ministry of Finance spokesperson Scott Blodgett wouldn’t comment on how the different municipalities report the figures, but noted in an email the onus for disclosing salaries and taxable benefits falls to each employer. The employees themselves do not self-disclose, he explained.

Under the Public Sector Salary Disclosure Act, it is the responsibility of each employer to disclose the salaries and taxable benefits of their employees who were paid $100,000 or more by the employer in the previous calendar year, Mr. Blodgett said.

“Each employer discloses only what it paid and the act does not provide for the salaries of individuals employed by two more public sector employers to be combined.”

Representatives for East Gwillimbury and King weren’t available for comment by deadline, but for 2013, the mayors of those two municipalities were paid $65,994 and $46,086, respectively.

On top of that, East Gwillimbury Mayor Virginia Hackson was paid $51,801 in her capacity as the town’s representative on regional council, while King Mayor Steve Pellegrini received $51,988 for his regional duties.