Local Sunshine List Jumps Again
CAO salary up 9.5% (25% in just two years).
The number of municipal employees on the public sector disclosure list jumped to 18 in 2023. The document also known as the Sunshine List is published every spring by the Ontario government to disclose publicly paid employees earning over $100,000 per year.
In 2022, the city had 16 names on the list (plus the retired fire chief). In 2021, the city had only 13.
Leading the list once again is the town Chief Administrative Officer, Jean-Pierre Barbeau who earned $219,000. This represents a 9.5% raise compared to his $199,000 salary in 2022. When compared to neighbouring similar sized municipalities last year, West Nipissing’s CAO salary was significantly higher than the average. French River’s CAO earned $148,000 in 2023. In Espanola, the salary was $143,000 and in Temiskaming Shores it was $139,000. The head of Markstay-Warren earned under $100,000 and did not make the list.
Surprisingly this year the head of our municipality even topped the CAO of the city of North Bay who only earned $212,000 last year. It’s important to note that North Bay has more than triple the population and more than double the operating budget.
This new council has been very generous with the CAO. Without any questions or public disclosure from council, Barbeau has seen a staggering 25% raise in just 24 months (from $175,000 in 2021 to $219,000 in 2023).
The CAO is not alone in receiving higher-than-average wage increases. In 2023 the second highest earning position (the Director of Corporate Services) also saw her salary jump 7.3% (from $154,000 to $166,000). The Director of Economic Development & Community Services rounded out the top 3 with a salary of $165,000 (a 4.4% increase from 2022).
Once again firefighters were overwhelmingly represented on our city’s Sunshine List. Seven members of the West Nipissing Fire Services made the list.
Other local public institutions saw a drastic increase as well. The West Nipissing General Hospital almost doubled the amount of employees on the list going from 19 in 2022 to 36 in 2023 and Au Chateau LTC Care had 10 employees earn over $100,000 in 2023.
The entire list can be found here.
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Most of the evidence so far, tells us that majority our elected representatives (councillors) do not run anything or even decide anything. They seem to just rubber stamp what ever the staff wants. Makes one wonder what they're getting out of it - besides making themselves look like stooges.
While the rest of us are lucky if we get a 3% cost of living raise.... which most did not.