Ontario’s prime municipal staffers are pocketing generally exorbitant advantages packages on prime of excessive bumps of their salaries, provincial pay knowledge reveals — and a few critics say that is out of contact with common Ontarians struggling to maintain up with the excessive value of residing.
As municipalities throughout Ontario draft and vote on their 2025 budgets, Ontario Chronicle regarded at how a lot chief administrative officers (CAO) and metropolis managers earned in keeping with Ontario’s newest disclosed public sector salaries database — also called the Sunshine Listing of salaries above $100,000.
CAOs and metropolis managers are the highest directors bridging elected councils and municipal workers — an more and more complicated job for which municipalities could also be spending extra to retain and appeal to high quality candidates, in keeping with an affiliation representing municipal managers.
However property homeowners like Frank Johnson are uninterested in footing the invoice for ever-growing workers salaries.
“We’re somewhat bit fed up,” stated Johnson of Tay Valley, Ont., a township of about 6,000 folks southwest of Ottawa.
WATCH | Criticism of pay, advantages as ‘out of contact’:
Taxpayers ‘fed up’ with native bureaucrats huge salaries and advantages
Ontario’s prime municipal staffers are pocketing generally exorbitant advantages packages on prime of excessive bumps of their salaries, provincial pay knowledge reveals — and a few critics say that is out of contact with common Ontarians struggling to maintain up with the excessive value of residing.
He is considered one of a number of residents who contacted CBC and whose property tax invoice was slated to rise by about 11.5 per cent subsequent 12 months — the fattest tax hike within the township’s current historical past. In accordance with draft funds paperwork, workers salaries are the highest purpose for that enhance.
Johnson famous Tay Valley’s CAO, who’s additionally the city clerk, was paid $164,599.09 final 12 months, and has been receiving annual wage bumps of between 10 and 13 per cent since 2020.
“It was an enormous enhance in a 12 months when issues are very tight for everyone,” Johnson stated.
Tay Valley’s CAO acquired double-digit proportion bumps in her wage for a couple of years, inflicting concern amongst some residents. (Mathieu Deroy/CBC)
From Ontario’s database, CBC pulled anybody with CAO or metropolis supervisor as a part of their title, and the information would not embrace any prime bureaucrats who might have earned lower than $100,000.
Throughout Ontario, taxpayers funded greater than $66 million towards the salaries of CAOs and metropolis managers in about 350 of Ontario’s 444 municipalities in 2023, and about $1.3 million towards their advantages.
CBC’s evaluation of the information reveals whereas most of the steepest adjustments in compensation — like a 143 per cent elevate or a 58 per cent pay minimize — could also be linked to promotions, retirements, job transitions and exit payouts, some prime bureaucrats persistently acquired raises of tens of hundreds of {dollars}.
CBC additionally famous a handful of former CAOs had been paid regardless of not working, and a few acquired advantages packages price upward of $60,000 yearly.
The best earner was the Metropolis of Toronto’s metropolis supervisor at $433,981.12. On the backside of the listing, the CAO of La Vallee Township, with a inhabitants of about 800, made $100,798.74.
Toronto’s metropolis corridor shot by the letter O of a Toronto sign up 2020. The town’s metropolis supervisor was the highest earner amongst municipal managers in 2023. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)
“We’re all astonished,” stated Johnson, calling the Tay Valley tax hike “extreme.”
Tay Valley Reeve Rob Rainer wrote in an emailed assertion he cannot touch upon particular person staff’ compensation, however famous the township has since lowered the proposed tax hike to about 7.4 per cent — nonetheless the best since 2006.
Rainer defined that determine is primarily on account of “lengthy overdue workers wage will increase” that had been crucial to stay compliant with the Ontario Pay Fairness Act, in addition to rising prices for Ontario Provincial Police.
“And, compensation for workers is now extra aggressive with comparable rural municipalities,” Rainer wrote.
Regardless of the reason, Johnson nonetheless has considerations.
“Sooner or later, someone has acquired to say cease,” he stated.
Ottawa Morning9:11Top native bureaucrats are pocketing huge raises and advantages. Some taxpayers are fed up
A few of Ontario’s prime municipal staffers are pocketing huge advantages packages on prime of excessive bumps of their salaries, provincial pay knowledge reveals. CBC’s Priscilla Ki Solar Hwang brings us her evaluation of the information, and why some taxpayers in Tay Valley say they’re fed up.
Meet the highest earners
Greater than 80 different prime staffers acquired double-digit proportion bumps final 12 months, in keeping with knowledge. Greater than half of all CAOs and metropolis managers noticed pay hikes above 2023’s inflation fee of three.9 per cent, and about half had been above Ontario’s 2023 common wage enhance of 5.1 per cent.
Amongst them, the median wage was about $175,000.
Whereas the highest-paid staffers had been largely from huge metropolitan centres, one CAO in a city of roughly 35,000 folks was among the many prime earners final 12 months: After 18 years within the job, the now retired CAO of East Gwillimbury earned a complete of $386,824.72.
Requested about his excessive earnings, the city stated it would not touch upon the pay of particular person staff.
One other CAO acquired paid by two cities final 12 months as he transitioned between jobs. Caledon’s CAO, previously with the City of Erin, made $386,690.43 from each cities, additionally putting him close to the highest of the listing, simply above Mississauga’s metropolis supervisor on the time.
The City of Erin, the place taxpayers paid him $268,027.08 — a 28 per cent leap in compensation from 2022 that included greater than $14,000 in advantages — confirmed the change was largely on account of trip and payouts for banked time.
It actually creates what I generally name a story of two Ontarios.- Jay Goldberg, Canadian Taxpayers Federation
The County of Middlesex’s CAO had one of many highest advantages payout at $64,575.19, on prime of his $245,947.76 wage.
In accordance with Ontario knowledge, he is acquired greater than $300,000 in advantages alone since 2017. The county did not disclose what these advantages entailed, however famous his compensation was negotiated and accepted by council in 2017.
Markham’s CAO additionally took dwelling some $35,856.70 in advantages final 12 months. Within the job since 2011, he acquired greater than $400,000 in advantages alone. The town declined to touch upon the CAO’s advantages.
The median wage amongst CAO and metropolis managers in 2023 was about $175,000. (Chris Younger/ Ontario Chronicle)
Economist and former affiliate deputy minister of finance Don Drummond reviewed the information and famous a sample of upper compensation for staffers in bigger municipalities, and decrease pay related to smaller ones — however identified “notable exceptions in each instructions.”
For instance, Higher Madawaska, a township of solely about 3,000 folks, paid its former CAO $287,357.14 final 12 months, a 111 per cent enhance from her earlier compensation. The city’s present CAO stated her predecessor left in April 2023, however didn’t touch upon the context behind the enhance.
Drummond famous the will increase are “all over,” making it tough to generalize, however he stated some are anticipated given current inflation. He stated some municipalities may additionally be taking part in catch-up for his or her staffers who suffered actual wage losses.
“However nonetheless, that ought to not result in very giant will increase,” Drummond stated, including very giant adjustments in both route might be on account of adjustments in employment situations.
“With such a variety of compensations, it comes all the way down to the basket one chooses to match to.”
CAOs face powerful challenges, says affiliation
David Arbuckle, govt director of the Affiliation of Municipal Managers, Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario (AMCTO), stated municipalities are going through rising challenges recruiting and retaining expert workers — particularly CAOs and metropolis managers who’ve a “very complicated function” juggling political consciousness, governance, monetary administration and neighborhood relations.
“It isn’t a nine-to-five job,” Arbuckle stated. “Municipalities might must pay extra in an effort to get that have within the door.”
He additionally likened the place to a sports activities supervisor who’s “employed to be fired” with every election. Arbuckle says would-be CAOs might enter into contract negotiations to construct in danger contingencies, which can additionally contribute to larger pay.
“On the finish of the day, an funding in that senior bureaucrat is basically an funding in neighborhood constructing,” Arbuckle stated.
David Arbuckle, govt director of the Affiliation of Municipal Managers, Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario, says the roles of CAO and metropolis supervisor have gotten more and more complicated. (AMCTO)
However taxpayer advocate Jay Goldberg stated in some circumstances, such excessive compensation is “very laborious to justify irrespective of how a lot work” bureaucrats are taking over.
Goldberg stated the information reveals native governments could also be “out of contact” with common Ontarians fighting the excessive value of residing.
“While you have a look at a number of the salaries … the flowery compensation packages … it actually creates what I generally name a story of two Ontarios,” stated Goldberg, Ontario director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.
He stated households in smaller townships are hit disproportionately laborious by “vital” tax hikes, like in Tay Valley.
“Irrespective of the way you slice it, this can be a load that’s being positioned on taxpayers,” Goldberg stated.
