GuelphToday received the following Letter to the Editor from reader, Don Rusk, about our article '486 city employees made more than $100,000 in 2023'.
On March 4, 2024 GuelphToday published an article indicating that 486 City of Guelph employees are on the Sunshine List (not including police). It also pointed out that five employees made more that $200,000.
For fairness and context I think the article should have pointed out two things.
The Ontario Sunshine List was introduced under Mike Harris in 1996. While wages have gone up every year the $100,000 benchmark of the list has not as it's not adjusted for inflation. Based on that fact the list is less relevant every year and as employees receive normal increases in pay the number of people on that list naturally increases.
Based on GuelphToday articles from November 2021, ''What is the household income needed to buy an 'average' home in Guelph?'' (over $200,000), and June 2023, ''Guelph residents need a $221,829 annual income to buy a home,'' only a few city employees make enough money to buy an average home.
Let's not cue the pitchforks just yet.
Don Rusk
Guelph, Ontario
