The number of employees earning over $100,000 per year has
grown to over 50 people as of 2005, and many ratepayers are asking why.
It is understandable that in order to run a city, you require some
highly qualified individuals to occupy senior management positions,
however, one of the main promises of amalgamation was the chance to avoid
duplication at those senior levels of management through consolidation.
At the time of amalgamation in 2000, there were only 13 municipal
employees in the Sudbury area making more than $100,000 per year. By the
year 2003, there were 14, but this seemed understandable considering that
salaried staff were receiving the same kinds of increases as unionized
employees.
During the first two years of the term of office for the current
Council, a total of over 36 more employees have seen their wages top the
$100,000 mark. For many observers, it is frightening to think of how many
more will be added during 2006.
All of this comes at a time when Council is
"nickel-and-diming" away at the Budget to squeeze more money for
roads, services and recreation.
The current Council has done much in the way of reorganization in an
attempt to reduce the number of senior managers and cut down on the size
of management in general. Nevertheless, it would appear that the more they
try to downsize, the greater the payroll, and all of this seems to have
coincided with a tremendous increase in the level of dissatisfaction among
ratepayers.
The salary costs at City Hall will definitely be a hot topic when it
comes to election campaigning this time around.
