Here are the familiar names topping the 'Sunshine List' in Windsor

CBC
·3 min read
Employees at Windsor Regional Hospital and the City of Windsor were among the top-paid employees, according to the 2023 sunshine list. (CBC - image credit)
Employees at Windsor Regional Hospital and the City of Windsor were among the top-paid employees, according to the 2023 sunshine list. (CBC - image credit)

Windsor's top-paid public sector employee took home more than $400,000 this year, but many other police officers, nurses, teachers and firefighters are also listed on the annual Ontario salary disclosure list for last year.

Colloquially known as the "sunshine list," the annual release details the number of public sector employees who make more than $100,000 a year. That can include municipal, police and post-secondary employees, utility providers, educators and health care providers.

In Windsor, the top-paid public sector employee for 2023 was Windsor Regional Hospital CEO David Musyj, who made $433,000. In second place is University of Windsor president Robert Gordon, who made $372,000.

David Musyj is the president and CEO of Windsor Regional Hospital. He says a new weapons detection system installed at the hospital on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023 has already detected a weapon.
David Musyj is the president and CEO of Windsor Regional Hospital. He says a new weapons detection system installed at the hospital on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023 has already detected a weapon.

David Musyj is the president and CEO of Windsor Regional Hospital, pictured in an October 2023 file photo. (Dale Molnar/CBC)

From the City of Windsor, Mayor Drew Dilkens made $209,000 last year and Windsor Police Service Chief Jason Bellaire brought home $258,000.

Joe Mancina, the city's Chief Administrative Officer, was the highest-paid City of Windsor employee, taking home $268,000 in 2023 despite taking over as CAO on May 1, 2023. He previously served as the city's chief financial officer.

Windsor police released their salary disclosure list earlier this month, revealing that former police chief Pam Mizuno made $191,000 in 2023 despite retiring from the force in early 2022.

Retired former Windsor Public library CEO Kathleen "Kitty" Pope was on the sunshine list, taking in $195,000 last year. Pope retired on May 8.

The current acting CEO of the Windsor Public Library, Michael Chantler, is also listed as making $140,000 in 2023.

In addition to Dilkens, Mancina and Bellaire, the City of Windsor had a handful of employees that took home more than $200,000 this year:

  • Shelby Askin Hager, former city solicitor

  • Jelena Payne, commissioner of economic development

  • Andrew Daher, commissioner of health and human services

  • Chris Nepszy, former commissioner of infrastructure services

  • Ray Mensour,  commissioner of community service

  • Steve Vlachodimos, city clerk

  • Jason Crowley, deputy police chief

  • Frank Providenti, former deputy police chief

Askin Hager and Nepszy were both removed from their positions in the fall, an exercise of Dilkens's enhanced mayoral powers that allow him to fire top city staff without council approval.

Nine physicians filled out the list of the top 20 highest-paid public sector employees in Windsor. Some work for the Windsor Family Health Team, while others work for the Windsor-Essex Community Health Centre.

At the Greater Essex County District School Board, Erin Kelly, the board's director of education, made nearly $300,000, while Theresa Williams, a high school principal, was the second-highest paid school board employee, making more than $245,000 in 2023.

Enwin Utilities CEO Garry Rossi made $295,000 in 2023. Five other Enwin executives made more than $200,000.

Enwin president and CEO Gary Rossi said he doesn't believe ratepayers should have to pay for infrastructure upgrades to support for-profit EV charging stations.
Enwin president and CEO Gary Rossi said he doesn't believe ratepayers should have to pay for infrastructure upgrades to support for-profit EV charging stations.

Garry Rossi is president and CEO of Enwin Utilities. (Sanjay Maru/CBC)

At the Windsor Essex Catholic District School Board, Emelda Byrne, director of education, took home $287,000.

More than 300,000 people on the sunshine list

Doctors, nurses, police officers, teachers and firefighters also rounded out the 2023 sunshine list in Windsor.

Provincially, five employees at Ontario Power Generation made the top 10 earners in the province. Kenneth Hartwick, the CEO, made $1.9 million last year.

There are 300,570 names on the sunshine list this year, more than 30,000 more than last year.

There was some discussion at Queen's Park on Thursday about whether the threshold for the sunshine list should be adjusted after nearly 30 years. It was created in 1996.

Green Party of Ontario Leader Mike Schreiner said it should be pegged to the rate of inflation, but others disagreed.

"I think that people think that $100,000 is still a lot of money, especially in an affordability crisis," said NDP MPP Catherine Fife, who's also the finance critic.

Government House Leader Paul Calandra said the government has no plans at this time to change the threshold on the sunshine list.