Educators Lead The Way In County Sunshine List

Jeff Green | Apr 03, 2014

A career in educational administration is the best way to get on the Sunshine list in Frontenac County, according to the latest version of the Ontario Public Sector Sunshine List, which was released last week.

While there were eight employees of Frontenac County on the list for 2013, of whom five work for Frontenac Paramedic Services, and three from South Frontenac Township, 129 employees of the Limestone District School Board made over $100,000 last year.

Most of those who made the list do not teach classes, however. They come from either the board office or from the ranks of principal and vice-principal. Although the board serves the City of Kingston and the Town of Napanee as well as rural Frontenac and L&A Counties, virtually all of the principals and vice-principals in the eight schools in Frontenac County and Addington Highlands are on the list.

The biggest change in the Frontenac County list, which includes Treasurer Marian Vanbruinessen as well as Fairmount Home Supervisor Julie Shillington, and Chief of Paramedic Services Paul Charbonneau and four of his staff, is the amount that was earned last year by out-going Chief Administrative Officer Elisabeth Savill. She was paid $148,900 in 2012, and even though she left the township's employ six weeks before the end of 2013, she received $170,000 in 2013. When contacted, Frontenac County Treasurer Vanbruinessen explained that Savill's income in 2013 was inflated because when she left the county's employ she had a significant amount of accrued vacation time built up and received a one-time payment.

When the salary range for the yet to be hired new CAO was being considered as part of the recruitment process, the upper end of the range was set at $157,000.

The highest payouts listed in the sunshine list are not found in either the municipal or educational fields. Top administrators of large health care institutions received the highest salaries, such as $297,000 for Dr. Gemmill at KFL&A Public Health.