Which public sector employee has the highest salary in Waterloo region?

The Region of Waterloo’s highest-paid public sector employee made just over $500,000 in 2022.

The data comes from the 2022 Public Salary Disclosure Act – colloquially known as the Sunshine List – which identifies all public sector employees who were paid at least $100,000.

The regions highest earner was Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics' Director Robert Myers who made $536,767.65 with $1,112.64 in taxable benefits.

Some of the region’s highest earner were:

• University of Waterloo President Vivek Goel who was paid $473,446 with an additional $2,007 in taxable benefits
• University of Waterloo President Emeritus Feridun Hamdullahpur who also made $473,446 but with $701 in taxable benefits,
• John Tibbits, president of Conestoga College made $409,900 with $923 in taxable benefits,
• Cambridge Memorial Hospital Pathologist Jacqueline Bourgeois who made $371,745.07 and $1,313.94 of taxable benefits 
• Wilfrid Laurier Unviersity Prisident Deborah Maclatchy had a salary of $363,000 with taxable benefits of $1,077
• University of Waterloo professor Raymond Laflamme who made $349,949 with $1,012 in taxable benefits.

A number of the top highest-paid public sector employees work at the University of Waterloo in various roles.

Of note was Region of Waterloo Chief Administrative Officer Bruce Lauckner who made $321,654 with $19,212 in taxable benefits.

Region of Waterloo Chair Karen Redman pulled in $184,793 with $17,433 in taxable benefits.

Redman was among a handful of regional employees reelected to their position in the October election.

Bryan Larkin, the former chief of the Region of Waterloo Police Service, made $305,187.73 with an additional $7,565.11 in taxable benefits.

Of note is also disgraced Guelph Police Service officer Corey McArthur – who has been on paid leave since 2016 and been found guilty of assault – made $116,484 with $631 in taxable benefits.

Prior to the list being published, it is estimated McArthur’s trial and paid suspension have cost taxpayers well over $600,000.

His next hearing is set for June 20.

In total, 267,000 people made the list, with the top three employees from Ontario Power Generation.

Ontario Power Generation President and Chief Executive Officer Kenneth Hartwick was the highest-paid employee on the list with a salary of $1,726,068 and $7,539 in taxable benefits.

The full list can be viewed here.