Highest paid in the District? Highest at the lower tier? We have the answers, and more!

Each year the province collects and publishes the public salary disclosure for employees making $100,000-plus at publicly funded organizations.

Referred to as the Sunshine List because it illuminates public spending on salaries, the list is slightly outdated in terms of the base line salary it uses.

But, since the list is up and ready to few, we’ve gone through to answer a few questions that taxpayers throughout Muskoka have asked. Questions like, who makes the most in the District of Muskoka?

Other questions that pop up during taxpayer conversations include, which town or township’s Sunshine List has the highest average salary? And what are the lowest salaries on the lists?

The District of Muskoka is the upper tier regional municipality made up of six lower tier municipalities: three towns (Huntsville, Bracebridge and Gravenhurst) and three townships (Lake of Bays, Muskoka Lakes and Georgian Bay).

Well, we went through it all for the six lower tier municipalities as well as the District of Muskoka itself and put it together in neat little package for our readers.

Of the lower tier municipalities, the Town of Huntsville reported the most 2022 Sunshine List employees at 14, however, they had the lowest average salary of $117,949.17 among the lists of those making over $100,000 per year.

The highest average salary is the Township of Lake of Bays (even when compared with the District), who only have eight employees on the list but pay them well. Last year’s average salary for Lake of Bays Sunshine List employees was $138,066.89.

Though District of Muskoka CAO Julie Stevens was (still is) the highest paid municipal employee at $248,274.03, Lake of Bays CAO Bryan Brown made the most among lower tier employees with a salary of $182,005.06 in 2022.

With those highlights in mind, check out the full comparison (including lowest wage in the $100,000-plus range at each municipality) as well as images of the full lists for each town and township plus the District.

Huntsville

14 employees making over $100,000

Highest paid: CAO Denise Corry at $169,241.73

Lowest paid on the Sunshine List: Three employees each making $103,343.03

Average salary of Sunshine List (total: $1,651,288.33): $117,949.17

FULL LIST

Bracebridge

11 employees making over $100,000

Highest: CAO Stephen Rettie at $171,238.90

Lowest paid on the Sunshine List: Manager of Accounting/Deputy Treasurer Amanda Charbonneau $101,724.07

Average Salary of Sunshine List (total: $ 1,411,970.48): $128,360.95\

FULL LIST

Gravenhurst

12 employees making over $100,000

Highest: CAO Scott Lucas at $167,122.41

Lowest paid on the Sunshine List: Senior Manager of Human Resources Elaine Harkiss Laird at $100,229.71

Average Salary of Sunshine List (total: $1,419,604.61): $118,300.38

FULL LIST

Muskoka Lakes

13 employees making over $100,000

Highest: CAO Derrick Hammond at $180,782.63

Lowest paid on the Sunshine List: Manager of Planning Bryce Sharpe $102,621.23

Average Salary of Sunshine List (total: $1,625,906.46): $125,069.73

FULL LIST

Lake of Bays

8 employees making over $100,000

Highest: CAO Bryan Brown at $182,005.06

Lowest paid on the Sunshine List: Supervisor of Public Works Ian MacKinnon at $101,802.50

Average Salary of Sunshine List (total: $1,104,535.13): $138,066.89

Georgian Bay

7 employees making over $100,000

Highest: Director of Financial Services Julie Bouthillette at $143,362.57

Lowest paid on the Sunshine List: Deputy Treasurer Celine Anderson at $103,823.06

Average Salary of Sunshine List (total: $831,945.55): $118,849.36

District of Muskoka

87 employees making over $100,000

Highest: CAO Julie Stevens at $248,274.03

Lowest paid on the Sunshine List: Paramedic Andrew Kuebler at $100,280.47

Average Salary of Sunshine List (total: $ 10,326,677.97): $118,697.45

Provincial notables

While some may think this list in Muskoka is high, consider that in Ontario almost 297,000 employees made over $100,000 last year with Kenneth Hartwick, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ontario Power Generation, topping the overall list at $1,726,068.02.

Meanwhile, a handful of others made more than $800,000, including Metrolinx CEO Phil Verster, Ontario Health CEO Matt Anderson, and Ontario Public Service Pension Board President and CEO Mark Fuller.

Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore made $466,056.99 and Simcoe-Muskoka’s Medical Officer of Health Dr. Charles Gardner made $325,055.25.

Meanwhile, Premier Doug Ford’s salary was $208,974 in 2022, while TVO host and producer Steve Paikin came in at $348,614.73.

All public sector employees in the Province of Ontario making over $100,000 can be found at Public Sector Salary Disclosure. Under the Public Sector Salary Disclosure Act, 1996, publicly funded organizations must report the names, positions, salaries and taxable benefits paid for those making $100,000 and above.

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