Latest news with #SunshineList
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bell: Gondek shovels the spin — Calgary's notorious city hall secrecy remains
How much do the Calgary city hall paper-shufflers actually make? Mayor Jyoti Gondek says nothing of substance. No surprise. Almost nobody at Calgary city hall wants to talk about it. Getting the facts for Calgarians from these folks downtown is far tougher than pulling teeth. You'd think these folks were running a spy agency. What is second nature, so obviously the right thing to do, a no-brainer with governments right across the country, is something almost nobody at Calgary city hall wants to talk about. They nibble around the edges but when they are pressed on the issue they won't take a real bite. Instead, life is so closed in the city hall cocoon, their operations so notoriously secretive, the city hall politicians will actually chinwag next week about how much we should know about what their boss paper-shuffler David Duckworth pockets carrying out orders in the Big Blue Playpen. It is pitiful. Why isn't somebody going on the city council floor and pushing for what's called a Sunshine List? The Alberta government has a Sunshine List. If you're on the Alberta government payroll and make more than $133,813 this year, then your regular salary, any other cash benefits above that wage and the employer's contributions to your pension and other benefits will be shown on the list along with your name and job title. If you get the boot and score severance on the way out that payout is also known. By the way, do we even know what Calgary top cop Mark Neufeld got in severance going out the exit door? Ask city hall about it and they pass the buck to the Calgary Police Commission where city council members sit. Taxpayers learn squat even if it's your money. City hall just hopes you tire of the constant struggle to get to the truth and throw up your hands and give up. It is time to ask Mayor Gondek. The buck has to stop somewhere. Gondek talks about how city hall could do a better job of being more open. Alas, most of what she says is a word salad involving insider talk of city hall procedures that would give you instant brain freeze while taking a shot at Sonya Sharp, a councillor running for the mayor's job. You're no wiser than when you started. MEMO TO THE GONDEK BRAINTRUST. Friendly advice. The mayor is not following the plan on how to politically rehabilitate herself. You know, the Gondek image makeover I recently wrote about with the $107,324 price tag paid by you, dear reader. A question to Mayor Gondek from this newshound. I'm trying to help the mayor see the light. Why not just bring in a Sunshine List like most other governments and then we will know how much the city hall movers and shakers make? It is taxpayer money. It is a doubly important question since, this week, one of the city hall high-and-mighties actually seems to suggest Calgary city hall doesn't have enough employees. Say what?! That's hard to believe because when one of the city hall somebodies makes a presentation to city council they often come in with a big enough entourage you'd think they must be a member of the Royal Family. So the slow pitch question to Gondek. How about finanicial info on the city hall brass? A swing and a miss. 'We do have tools that provide that.' They do not. 'Are they easily accessible? Obviously not, because people are asking: Where can we find these things?' People are asking because … THERE IS NO CITY HALL SUNSHINE LIST. A follow-up question. Gondek rushes off. The city of Calgary has a list of job titles and the pay range for each job. It's like a massive Help Wanted catalogue. It means nothing. So the secrecy goes on. Ten years ago, yes, ten long years ago, city hall paper shufflers misled Calgarians. They said provincial privacy laws prevented a Sunshine List showing the pay and perks of city hall bigshots. Did they take us for fools? Jeff Fielding, then the big boss at the city, cleared the air and said council could have voted Yes to a real Sunshine List, like almost everywhere else, including where he previously worked in Ontario. Council should press the issue and stop letting city brass lead them around by the nose. Again, Dan McLean seems to be one of the few members of city council willing to speak. If others are, you know where to find me. 'Everyone would like to see a Sunshine List, except administration. Why don't they want to see one? What are they hiding? I want to know exactly how much Joe Schmo is making and what he does,' says McLean. 'I don't care if you're getting paid a lot of money if you're earning it, but enquiring minds want to know.' rbell@
Hamilton Spectator
6 days ago
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Here's how much the new Metrolinx CEO will get paid — plus his potential performance bonuses
New Metrolinx CEO Michael Lindsay will get paid $686,566 per year, with a potential to earn an additional $137,000 in bonuses, over the next three years during his term as head of the provincial transit agency. Lindsay's compensation, revealed as part of a government Order in Council , includes a bonus structure that ranges from zero to 20 per cent of his base $686,566 salary, 'based on his performance evaluation and subject to any statutory requirements or limitations.' His compensation also includes up to six weeks of paid vacation per year. That's less than his predecessor, Phil Verster , who made $883,991 in his final year as CEO in 2024, after seven years at the helm. Verster, in 2024, was the fourth highest paid public servant on the Sunshine List . Lindsay was made the new permanent head of Metrolinx on June 25, after serving for months as interim CEO. Over the past decade, the transit agency has overseen almost all transit construction in the GTA, including several high-profile projects that have faced delays, growing budgets and scrutiny over a lack of transparency. In a statement announcing his appointment, Minister of Transportation Prabmeet Sarkaria said, 'Michael has done an outstanding job in his role as acting CEO, and I have complete confidence that he will continue to lead with the same dedication and vision.' When Lindsay was first appointed, Premier Doug Ford said his top priority would be opening the long-delayed Eglinton Crosstown LRT 'as soon as it is safe to do so.' Ford, asked for his comments on the 14-year-long wait for the Crosstown's opening at a press conference in June, praised Lindsay, calling him 'brilliant and a champion.' 'He is fully in charge and he's going to get it done,' Ford said. In 2018, Lindsay was appointed a special adviser when the province mulled taking over the city's subway system. He then moved to Infrastructure Ontario in 2019 as president of project delivery. Lindsay was appointed president and CEO of Infrastructure Ontario in November 2020 before he was made interim CEO of Metrolinx in December 2024. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Edmonton Journal
29-06-2025
- Edmonton Journal
Man accused in Holocaust Memorial vandalism is City of Ottawa lawyer on leave
Article content The 46-year-old man who faces a number of charges after the National Holocaust Memorial was vandalized with red paint on June 9 is an Ottawa city lawyer on leave. Iain Aspenlieder has been charged with mischief to a war monument, mischief exceeding $5,000 and harassment by threatening conduct. Aspenlieder is listed in Ontario's Sunshine List as a legal counsel with the City of Ottawa with a salary of $148,246.65 as of 2024.
Ottawa Citizen
28-06-2025
- Ottawa Citizen
Man accused in Holocaust Memorial vandalism is City of Ottawa lawyer on leave
The 46-year-old man who faces a number of charges after the National Holocaust Memorial was vandalized with red paint on June 9 is an Ottawa city lawyer on leave. Article content Iain Aspenlieder has been charged with mischief to a war monument, mischief exceeding $5,000 and harassment by threatening conduct. Article content Article content Aspenlieder is listed in Ontario's Sunshine List as a legal counsel with the City of Ottawa with a salary of $148,246.65 as of 2024. Article content Article content He appeared in court on Saturday for a bail hearing. A decision is scheduled for Wednesday, July 2. Article content Article content In a post on X on Saturday evening, Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said while it was encouraging to see that the police investigation into the incident has progressed, he was 'very disturbed to learn that the person charged is a city employee who was on leave. As a community and as an employer, the actions at the Monument do not represent our values.' Article content Sutcliffe thanked police and added that he has asked city officials to 'take all appropriate action in light of these developments.' A statement attributed to interim city solicitor Stuart Huxley confirmed that Aspenlieder was on leave at the time of the incident. Article content 'The City is reviewing the charges and will be swiftly undertaking all appropriate action given the situation,' said Huxley. Article content 'The recent act affecting the National Holocaust monument was deplorable and is counter to the values we seek to uphold in our community. We extend our deepest sympathies to members of our community impacted by this disgraceful act.' Article content Article content As the matter is the subject of a police investigation and is before the courts, the city will provide no further comment, said Huxley. Article content Article content The monument, located at 1918 Chaudière Crossing, was sprayed with the words 'FEED ME' in large block letters on the side adjacent to Wellington Street. Red paint was also sprayed along the building's facade. Article content In 2014, the Criminal Code was amended to add the charge of mischief to a war memorial. Article content The definition applies to a property 'that primarily serves as a monument to honour persons who were killed or died as a consequence of a war, including a war memorial or cenotaph, or an object associated with honouring or remembering those persons that is located in or on the grounds of such a building or structure, or a cemetery.'
Hamilton Spectator
01-05-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Balance your budget or be taken over, education minister warns Toronto school board
The Toronto public board needs to balance its budget or the province will step in and take over, Education Minister Paul Calandra threatened as trustees there push back against the $58 million in cuts they need to get out of the red. 'The Toronto District School Board has been running multi-year deficits. What they're being asked to do is find savings of less than two per cent on an over $3 billion budget,' Calandra said Thursday during daily question period, adding it could be 'finding savings by reducing the amount of superintendents that they have, by going after the $35 million of paid leave that they have.' The board is among five being targeted by the province for financial issues, and Calandra has previously announced he was sending in an investigator to look at Toronto's books. He accused the board of going after students by suggesting closing pools or firing itinerant music teachers instead of cutting administration. 'What they didn't say is, 'We're going to look at the record number of superintendents who are littered all over the Sunshine List.' They went from 3,000 to 8,000 people on the Sunshine List. 'We're not looking at that at the TDSB.' Why? Because the TDSB and the trustees are all about protecting themselves at the expense of students, at the expense of teachers.' To trustees, he added, 'let me be very clear. Do the right things for students; do the right things for teachers. If you don't, I'll take you over and I'll put the board back on track.' The government has touted its record level of education funding, which now sits at about $29 billion. School boards, however, say when inflation is factored in, per-student funding is down by about $1,500 at a time they are facing increasing costs — some of them mandatory, including employment insurance. Liberal MPP Jonathan Tsao (Don Valley North) said it is time the government 'commit to properly funding' the board. 'While I agree that fiscal responsibility matters, we also can't ignore the real challenges facing the students across the (Toronto public board) ... due to chronic underfunding,' Tsao said. 'Parents and teachers in my riding are deeply — deeply — concerned about the impact of the inaction of this government over the past seven years, especially on special education, IT programs, and opportunities in music, drama, sports and the arts. On top of that, aging infrastructure only adds to these pressures.' Trustees at the TDSB, among the largest school boards in North America, voted Wednesday at a special meeting to direct Chair Neethan Shan to 'continue to seek to engage the minister of education with urgency regarding the need for budget 2025 and education funding for 2025-26 to address the growing inflationary gap in per pupil education funding, special education funding, and other areas.' Some parents have urged the board to not cut staff or delay distributing Chromebooks to students, and instead pressure the government to provide additional funds. The board initially faced a $70.3 million deficit that was lowered to $58 million after the federal government eliminated the carbon tax. Almost $44 million of the shortfall is attributed to statutory Canada Pension Plan and Employment Insurance increases.
