The Medical Officer of Health for Grey-Bruce is getting a big pay raise.
Doctor Hazel Lynns salary will jump from just over 200 thousand to 275 thousand after the local Board of Health recently approved a new agreement with the province.
Grey County Council was told on Tuesday that the physician services agreement included a new compensation initiative for medical officers of health, creating a pay grid for the position for the first time.
It calls for medical officers of health to receive a salary between 235 and 275 thousand dollars based on experience.
Last year’s salary disclosure list for public figures — showed Lynn had a annual salary of 203 thousand dollars.
With nine years behind her at the Grey Bruce Health Unit, Lynn is far beyond the four-year requirement to receive the top figure.
Not only that, her pay increase is retroactive to last April.
The figure does not include benefits and expenses.
County Councillor Bob Pringle — the Vice Chair of the Board of Health — says Lynns salary has been paid on a 75-25 basis by the province and the two counties for which she administers public health.
The province will fund the entire amount of the raise until 2012.
Pringle says Grey-Bruce did not have to opt into the agreement with the province, a move which would have kept Lynns salary where it was..
But the Board of Health felt such a move would not have inspired Lynn to remain in the position, given what she could command as the MOH in another community with the agreement in place — or even by returning to private practice.
Councillor Howard Greig questioned the decision.
He says he has no qualms with the job Lynn does, but he feels it is irresponsible to be granting such pay raises to anyone in tough economic times.
As for the contention that the province will pay the entire cost of the pay raise, Greig points out there is only one taxpayer.
The public will inevitably pay for it no matter who is actually writing the cheque.
Greig refused to support the agreement when it came time for ratification by county council, but only five of the other 16 councillors present on Tuesday shared his concerns.