THUNDER BAY – The position of city police chief cost municipal taxpayers nearly $430,000 in 2018.
Last year, former Thunder Bay police chief J.P. Levesque made $193,000 while successor Sylvie Hauth earned $236,000 in her transition from deputy chief, to acting chief before finally being named the full-time head of the police force.
The figures were included in the annual public sector salary disclosure, widely known as the sunshine list, which was released earlier this week and requires municipal and provincial government departments and agencies to disclose the earnings of those making more than $100,000.
Levesque announced his retirement in April, three months after being reinstated from administrative leave after criminal charges of obstructing justice and breach of trust were dismissed.
Emergency services accounted for the bulk of Thunder Bay's 100K club, with Thunder Bay Police Service, Thunder Bay Fire Rescue and Superior North EMS employees accounting for 354 of the 424 municipal employees on the list.
City manager Norm Gale had the highest city hall salary at $272,000. Hauth had the highest figure for the emergency service leaders, followed by Fire Chief John Hay at $172,000 and Superior North EMS chief Wayne Gates at $141,000. Acting deputy police chief Don Lewis made $196,000.
The health-care sector had some of the highest earners, with Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre chief executive officer Jean Bartkowiak making $371,000. Rhonda Crocker-Ellacott, who split last year as a hospital vice president and chief executive officer of the North West Local Health Integration Network, collected $346,000. St. Joseph's Care Group chief executive officer Tracy Buckler also made $346,000, though the organization's senior medical director of addictions and mental, John Haggarty, brought home $353,000. Thunder Bay District Health Unit medical officer of health Janet DeMille earned $286,000.
Lakehead University president Moira McPherson topped the leaders of local educational institutions, making $345,000. Former university president Brian Stevenson, who stepped down at the end of December 2017, was on the list with a salary of $360,000 for 2018 with a note of administrative leave.
Former Confederation College president Jim Madder made $226,000 while Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board director of education Pino Tassone collected $207,000 and Lakehead Public Schools director of education Ian MacRae earned $206,000.
Thunder Bay mayor Bill Mauro is on the list at $165,000 in his former capacity as Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP and municipal affairs minister. Michael Gravelle, who was elected as Thunder Bay-Superior North MPP, made $140,000.
