Monthly Archives: March 2011

03.06.11
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Chief Bill Lynch explains why his salary in 2010 tops the list at city hall

The highest-earning municipal employee in St. Thomas in 2010 was St. Thomas police Chief Bill Lynch, who earned $157,133, up from $135,424 the previous year.

In addition the number of members of the St. Thomas Police Service who earned in access of $100,000 in 2010 more than doubled to 13, from six in 2009.

City Scope talked to Lynch on Friday, the same day the figures were published in the Times-Journal, to ascertain what is behind the substantial increase in his salary and the swelling of the ranks in the so-called sunshine club with police officers.

“Probably the single biggest reason – last year’s salaries have a lot of retroactivity in them from 2009,” Lynch explained.

” A lot of that is what puts them over. Retroactive pay from 2009 because the contract did not get settled until around August of 2010.”

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03.05.11
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2010 Public Sector Salaries, County of Elgin

Figures released for 2010 (2009 salary in brackets)

BEECH-ROBERTS,RHONDA Director, Long Term Care Homes $117,125 ($110,686)
BRYCE, ROB Director of Human Resources $105,568 (new)
BUNDSCHUH, JIM $122,805 ($111,885)
MCDONALD,MARK Chief Administrative Officer $170,880 ($160,700)
WATTERS, CLAYTON Director, Engineering Services $112,819 ($110,686)

03.05.11
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2010 Public Sector Salaries, Municipality of Central Elgin

Salary figures released for 2010 (2009 salary in brackets)

CROCKER, DON Fire Chief $105,564 ($103,519)
LARMOUR,SHARON Director, Financial Services $110,193 ($106,400)
LEITCH, DONALD N Chief Administrative Officer $120,178 ($113,833)
PERRIN, LLOYD Director, Physical Services $115,846 ($113,833)

03.05.11
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2010 Public Sector Salaries, Aylmer and Township of Malahide

Figures released for 2010 salaries (2009 salary in brackets)
Aylmer
GIBSON, WILLIAM Const. first class police constable $106,749 (new)
KNIGHT, MICHAEL Sgt., police $111,082 ($107,517)
LAWRENCE, PAUL Const., first class police constable $106,454 ($103,418)
REYMER, ANDREW Deputy Chief, Police $116,193 ($117,274)
SEGUI, BILARDINO Chief, Police $123,875 ($118,791)

Township of Malahide
WILSON, SUSAN Director of Finance $102,584 ($102,152)

03.05.11
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Fiscal restraint at city hall a matter of attitude

city_scope_logo-cmyk

Totally unsustainable. That’s the only conclusion following the disclosure this week of municipal staff who earned more than $100,000 in 2010.

Membership in the sunshine club mushroomed by 44% — 39 city employees are included on the list, up from 27 in 2009. However, only 10 are city hall employees, while 16 are firefighters and 13 are with the police department.

Is overtime part of the problem, questions Mayor Heather Jackson-Chapman.

“Can we do something to curb that? What can we do to keep this in check to deal with this?”

Yes, overtime is a factor with both police and fire and, for the time being, there’s little St. Thomas can do.
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03.03.11
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2010 Public Sector Salaries, City of St. Thomas

These are the most recent figures filed in March, 2011 for 2010.
Employee, their position with the city, salary paid and (2009 salary).

Boe, John Senior Platoon Chief, fire dept. $106,838.72 ($110,221.98)
Brisseau, Mark Senior Capt. fire dept. $106,709.75 ($103,066.72)
Broadbent, Robert Chief, fire dept. $120,384.15 ($108,413.40)
Butters, Kevin, Senior Capt. fire dept. $101,462.01 (not on list)
Carroll, Michael Administrator, Valleyview Home $107,836.12 ($104,628.72)
Dart, Graham, Director Human Resources $116,435.00 ($113,048.10)
Day, Bill, City Treasurer $125,144.62 (on leave for part of 2009)
Denham, Rudi CEO, Library $107,762.43 ($100,279.35)
Dewancker, John Director, Env. Services $127,249.76 ($123,565.17)
Donker, Steve, Senior Capt. fire dept. $105,653.29 ($106,729.04)
Driedger, Jeff Senior Insp. police $129,410.34 ($119,871)
Eaton, Robert, Senior Capt. fire dept. $101,563.96 (not on list)
Gonyou, Joyce, Director Nursing, Valleyview Home $106,814.71 ($103,904.64)
Graves, Wendell City Clerk $126,338.14 ($106,388.31)
Herridge, Chris, Sr. Staff Sgt. police dept. $109,075.82 (not on list)
Hikele, Richard, Senior Capt. fire dept. $106,197.91 ($102,275.54)
Hill, Glenn, Senior Capt. fire dept. $107,316.33 ($109,123.18)
Hulst, James, Senior Capt. fire dept. 107,736.73 (not on list)
Jensen, Oscar Deputy Chief, fire dept. $119,001.68 ($114,921.54)
Keenan, Patrick, Director, Planning dept. $116,434.99 ($113,048.06)
Kernohan, Kevin, Senior Platoon Chief, fire dept. $120,338.81 ($116.150.56)
Kowalczyk, Judith, Sr. Staff Sgt. police dept. $106,577.44 (not on list)
Lynch, William Chief, police dept. $157,133.32 ($135,424,00)
Mundt, Randy, Sr. Staff Sgt. police dept. $112,274.85 ($100,700.84)
Newton, Sue, Sr. Sgt. police dept. $101,586.65
Ormerod, Ray, Senior Training Officer, fire dept. $106,556.96 ($104,084.60)
Perrin, Chris, Sr. Sgt. police dept. $106,104.38 (not on list)
Pinnell, Darryl, Deputy Chief, police dept. $136,537.12 ($126.494.48)
Scott, Warren, Sr. Platoon chief, fire dept. $116,467.40 ($104,480.07)
Soldo, Edward, Mgr. Operations & Compliance, $107,464.34 (not on list)
Todd, Bill, Sr. Chief Fire Prevention Officer, fire dept. $102,479.98 (not on list)
Traichevich, Mark Senior Insp. police dept. $129,410.34 ($119,871.40)
Tucker, Ross, Director, Parks & Recreation $103,488.39 (not on list)
Vaughan, Marc, Sr. Constable, police dept. $103,665.83 (not on list)
Walters, Mark, Sr. Platoon Chief. fire dept. $112,206.70 ($102,260.00)
Willson, Rodger Sr. Platoon Chief, fire dept. $110,147.54 ($107,647.02)
Withenshaw, Steve, Sr. Staff Sgt. police dept. $109,014.32 ($101,677.98)
Yates, Russell, Sr. Staff Sgt. police dept. $110,203.12 (not on list)
Zehr, Henry, Sr. Staff Sgt. police dept. $106,566.82 (not on list)

The complete 2009 salary list can be found here.

03.02.11
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Why the wind power industry could be the greatest scam of our age

Erie Shores Wind Farm

The most glaring dishonesty peddled by the wind industry — and echoed by gullible politicians — is vastly to exaggerate the output of turbines by deliberately talking about them only in terms of their ‘capacity’, as if this was what they actually produce. Rather, it is the total amount of power they have the capability of producing.

In Ontario, the mostly dismal daily performance of wind farms is documented here . While today, March 2, has been a productive day with output running above 80% of generation capability, March 1 figures are truly bleak, with nearby Erie Shores in Port Burwell contributing literally nothing to the power grid for much of the day and climbing to just 30% of its rated capability for a mere two hours.

Days like that are more the norm than the exception.

The second great lie about wind power is the pretence that it is not a preposterously expensive way to produce electricity. No one would dream of building wind turbines unless they were guaranteed a huge government subsidy.

What other industry gets a public subsidy equivalent to 100 or even 200 per cent of the value of what it produces?

The third great lie is that this industry is somehow making a vital contribution to ‘saving the planet’ by cutting our emissions of CO2 – it is not.

Read full story here .