Money makers

SUNSHINE LIST: No fewer than 24 Cornwall police officers made more than $100,000 in 2008 -but they're just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to how your tax dollars pay salaries

Cornwall Standard Freeholder

01 April 2009

Posted By MICHAEL PEELING

For the first time in his career, Detective Sergeant George Levere of the Cornwall police service made more than $100,000 over the course of 2008, but he's not alone.

Not by a long shot.

Levere was one of 24 Cornwall Community Police officers who made more than six figures last year.

The police officers make up two thirds of the 36 people employed by the City of Cornwall on the list, a substantial jump from the 2007 list of 14.

There are many reasons for that, according to Levere's bosses, chief of police Daniel Parkinson and deputy chief Danny Aikman.

But Levere said it's because he is the case manager for the lead investigators of three city homicides last year: five-year-old Alissa Martin-Travers, Michael Madsen, 59, and a 16-year-old male student at T. R. Leger Alternative School.

"I put in a lot of overtime as a result of those homicides," Levere said.

"It was an odd year. We don't usually have that many homicides in a year. We usually have one or two every two or three years."

The last year Levere recalls investigators putting in so much OT was 2006, when the double murder Jade and Peter Benedict occurred.

Levere, who is currently president of the Cornwall Police Association, isn't a fan of seeing investigators work so much, but says it's a matter of public safety.

"I don't like to see the officers put in all of that overtime," Levere said, "but that's what you sign up for.

"Nobody wants to live in a community of unsolved murders."

Levere's annual salary was published by the Ontario Ministry of Finance as one of many employees who make six figures in the Public Sector Salary Disclosure, an annual accounting by the province to maintain transparency as to what provincial and municipal government employees are paid in the space of 365 days.

Parkinson, who pulled in a $153,162 salary last year and $6,593.84 in taxable benefits, said an extra pay period in 2008 was also a factor in officers making up the bulk of the city's Sunshine List.

There were 27 pay periods instead of the usual 26, a phenomenon which occurs every 12 years, according to Aikman.

Parkinson said factoring in an extra $5,000 cheque and an average raise of three per cent, then it's not a far stretch to $100,000 for many sergeants.

Parkinson wasn't surprised to see a few constables on the list for 2008.

In fact, there are four.

Levere said a new contract for the officers paid out "large amounts of back time pay" as well.

The only city employee who received a bigger salary than Parkinson in 2008 was the city's chief administrative officer, Paul Fitzpatrick, at $154,829, along with $1,521 worth of taxable benefits.

Parkinson thinks the province should reconsider the $100,000 benchmark for the list because it has been around since 1996, and therefore no longer serves the government's goal of transparency and accountability to the taxpayers.

The cost of running a municipal police service has increased considerably since then, said Parkinson. He would rather the list start at $150,000. Registered nurses at the Cornwall Community Hospital who made more than $100,000 in 2008 tripled compared to 2007.

There were six senior nurses who racked up enough overtime to push their salaries -in the $80,000 range -over the Sunshine List minimum by Dec. 31, 2007, while that number skyrocketed to 18 by the end of 2008.

Nurses at the local hospital are known to work dozens of overtime hours in a month.

CCH is currently short six registered nurses.

And the Commissioner of the Cornwall Public Inquiry got a substantial raise in salary for 2008.

George Normand Glaude, a regional senior judge for the Ontario Court of Justice, made $302,884 for the year instead of $236,424 in 2007.

Judges such as Peter Bishop received a similar raise to Glaude's bump of more than $66,000, reportedly because of a new contract for provincial judges meant to bump their salaries closer to those of federally appointed Superior Court judges.

- - -

Local Sunshine List for 2008

Here's a quick look at some top-level public employees from Cornwall and region and what they earned in 2008.

Judge Normand Glaude Inquiry Commissioner $302,844

Judge Gilles Renaud Ontario Court of Justice $260,735

Dr. Paul Roumeliotis Medical Officer of Health EOHU $234,614

Jeanette Despatie Cornwall Community Hospital CEO $231,757

David Thomas Director of Education UCDSB $199,980 Murray MacDonald Crown Attorney $198,800

Guy Simard Ass't Crown Attorney $188,341

Patricia MacDonald St. Lawrence Parks Commission, GM $158,432

Paul Fitzpatrick City of Cornwall CAO $154,829

Dan Parkinson Cornwall Community Police Service, Chief $153,162

The full list of public employees earning over $100,000 in 2008 can be found at www.fin.gov. on.ca/english/publications/salarydisclosure/2009

If you are willing to put in the time , and sometimes you do not have a choice, the job must be done then yes you should be compensated.

Reply | Report | Page Top Post #1 By rkake,

Number of Cornwall cops making $100 grand increases six-fold in 2008

Nurses on list triple, while Glaude garners healthy raise

Cornwall Standard Freeholder

31 March 2009

Posted By Michael Peeling

For the first time in his career, Detective Sergeant George Levere of the Cornwall police service made more than $100,000 over the course of 2008, but he's not alone in the local government by a long shot.

Levere was one of 24 Cornwall Community Police officers who made more than six figures last year. The police officers make up two thirds of the 36 people employed by the City of Cornwall on the list, a substantial jump from the 2007 list of 14.

There are many reasons for that, according to Levere's bosses, Chief of Police Daniel Parkinson and Deputy Chief Danny Aikman, but Levere himself said it's because he is the case manager for the lead investigators of three city homicides last year: five-year-old Alissa Martin-Travers, Michael Madsen, 59, and a 16-year-old male student at T.R. Leger Alternative School.

"I put in a lot of overtime as a result of those homicides," Levere said. "It was an odd year. We don't usually have that many homicides in a year. We usually have one or two every two or three years."

The last year Levere recalls investigators putting in so much OT was 2006, when the double murder Jade and Peter Benedict occurred.

Levere, who is currently president of the Cornwall Police Association, isn't a fan of seeing investigators work so much, but says it's a matter of public safety.

"I don't like to see the officers put in all of that overtime," Levere said, "but that's what you sign up for. Nobody wants to live in a community of unsolved murders."

Levere's annual salary was published by the Ontario Ministry of Finance as one of many employees who make six figures in the Public Sector Salary Disclosure, an annual accounting by the province to maintain transparency as to what provincial and municipal government employees are paid in the space of 365 days.

Parkinson, who pulled in a $153,162.60-salary last year and $6,593.84 in taxable benefits, said a extra pay period in 2008 was also a factor in officers making up the bulk of the city's Sunshine List. There were 27 pay periods instead of the usual 26, a phenomenon which occurs every 12 years, according to Aikman.

Parkinson said factoring in an extra $5,000 pay cheque and an average raise of three per cent, then it's not a far cry to $100,000 for many sergeants.

Parkinson wasn't surprised to see a few constables on the list for 2008. In fact, there are four.

Levere said a new contract for the officers paid out "large amounts of back time pay" as well.

The only city employee who made received a bigger salary than Parkinson in 2008 was the city's chief administrative officer, Paul Fitzpatrick, at $154,829.36, along with $1,521 worth of taxable benefits.

Parkinson thinks the province should reconsider the $100,000 benchmark for the list because it has been around since 1996, and therefore no longer serves the government's goal of transparency and accountability to the taxpayers.

The cost of running a municipal police service has increased considerably since then, said Parkinson. He would rather the list start at $150,000.

Nurses triple: The number of registered nurses at the Cornwall Community Hospital who made more than $100,000 in 2008 tripled compared to 2007.

There were six senior nurses who racked up enough overtime to push their $80,000-range salaries over the Sunshine List minimum by Dec. 31, 2007, while that number skyrocketed to 18 by the end of 2008.

Nurses at the local hospital are known to work dozens of overtime hours in a month.

CCH is currently short six registered nurses.

Glaude nabs big raise: The Commissioner of the Cornwall Public Inquiry got a substantial raise in salary for 2008.

George Normand Glaude, a regional senior judge for the Ontario Court of Justice, made $302,884.64 for the year instead of $236,424.23 in 2007.

Judges such as Peter Bishop received a similar raise to Glaude's bump of more than $66,000, reportedly because of a new contract for provincial judges meant to bump their salaries closer to those of federally appointed Superior Court judges.

The Ministry of the Attorney General says judges were awarded a big chunk of retroactive pay in 2008.

that's a long way from the cry baby you use to be George, or is that why you have the raise ~lol~ congrats George and welcome to the club. I still think you had a good chance in Hockey as well

Reply | Report | Page Top Post #1 By itinerant,

Fitzpatrick how come he gets money like, He is a bumbler, a nice guy according to Ed and long time friends but a bumbler none the less. What has he done to warrant more then the average minimum wage person.

Reply | Report | Page Top Post #2 By itinerant,