Wood Buffalo fears 'sunshine list' will spark small town 'witch hunt'

Wood Buffalo municipal council will disclose the salaries of high earners but taxpayers won't know whoexactly is taking home $120,000 or more a year.

The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo joined cities like Red Deer and Calgary Tuesday in voting to disclose the payof its highest-paid staff but not their names.

"I have mixed feelings about the whole idea," Coun.Colleen Tatum said during the debate, "It's like a witch hunt."

• Sunshine List launched for Alberta agencies, boards, commissions

• Alberta releases first 'Sunshine list' of government salaries

Alberta's Municipal Government Act only requires local governments to disclose the salaries of the mayor, councillors, the chief administrative officer and other specific positions.

But a new law enacted in 2015 requires municipalities to expand the number of employees whose salaries mustbe made public. However the legislation still gives local governments enough wiggle room to allow them to decide the extent of their disclosure.

For example, municipalities can release the exact incomes and names of public servants, which in 2016, means any public servant earning $126,375 or more.

Or they could disclose general salaries associated with certain jobs, an option the Wood Buffalo municipality adopted Tuesday.

Currently, 504 Wood Buffalo municipal staffers earn more than $120,000. Nineteen earn more than $200,000.

Tatum said she supported the limited disclosure of salaries because she was concerned Wood Buffalo's small communities would leave employees vulnerable to too much scrutiny.

"I think to take that privacy away from someone is inherently wrong," Tatum said.

Coun. Sheldon Germain agreed and said he supports people having a general idea of personal incomes.

"The reality is you don't really know the 80 or 90 hours a week that anyone was working," Germain said."All they would see is the salary.

"They wouldn't see the level of experience and the level of education. You just see the number."