City of Ottawa

Also filed as City of Ottawa (former) (2000) and Corporation of the City of Ottawa (1996).

Ontario Sunshine List 2025 · 5,181 employees earning $100K+

Municipalities & Services

At a Glance
2025

Employee Count

5,181

2025 Sunshine List

Total Compensation

$651.5M

Salaries + taxable benefits

Average Salary

$125,013

2025 Sunshine List

Median Salary

$117,638

Half earn more, half less

Who makes the most at City of Ottawa in 2025?

Wendy Stephanson, City Manager, was paid $463,232 in 2025 — the highest total compensation among 5,181 City of Ottawa employees on the Sunshine List; the median salary there was $117,638.

How has City of Ottawa's Sunshine List changed?

City of Ottawa listed 5 people in 1996 and 5,181 in 2025 — 1036× as many; payroll on the list went from $594K to $651.5M, and the median salary moved from $113,399 to $117,638.

How many City of Ottawa employees earn over $150,000? →

Salary Trend

Median salary by yearLine chart of 29 yearly values of median salary, from $113,399 in 1996 to $117,638 in 2025. No data for 1998.$100K$105K$110K$115K$120K199620042008201520192025
Median salary, 1996–2025. Axis starts at $100,000, the Sunshine List disclosure threshold. That threshold has never been indexed to inflation, so this line can fall over time simply because more people newly cross it — not necessarily because pay fell.

Top Employees
2025

#1Wendy Stephanson
$463,232
City Manager
#2Trevor Arnason
$336,058
Medical Officer Health, Public Health
#3Monir Taha
$324,685
Associate Medical Officer of Health
#4Daniel Chenier
$324,034
General Manager, Recreation, Cultural and Facility Services
#5Michelle Foote
$317,554
Associate Medical Officer of Health
#6Robin Taylor
$315,787
Associate Medical Officer of Health
#7Laura Bourns
$315,787
Deputy Medical Officer of Health
#8Cyril Rogers
$271,930
General Manager, Finance and Corporate Services Department and Chief Financial Officer
#9Nathalie Gougeon
$270,917
Auditor General
#10Alain Gonthier
$270,065
General Manager, Public Works
#11Tammy Rose
$263,790
General Manager, Infrastructure and Water Services
#12Debbie Stewart
$263,215
General Manger Strategic Initiatives
#13Clara Freire
$261,445
General Manager, Community and Social Services
#14Renée Amilcar
$261,182
General Manager, Transit Services Department
#15Vivi Chi
$257,689
Special Advisor, Planning
#16Paul Hutt
$255,562
Fire Chief
#17Ryan Perrault
$252,256
General Manager, Emergency and Protective Services
#18Steve Box
$243,260
Director, City Manager's Office
#19Louise Hine-Schmidt
$242,559
Deputy Chief, Operations
#20Todd Horricks
$242,029
Deputy Chief, Capital Assets
#21Scott Grakist
$239,167
Platoon Chief
#22Troy Charter
$239,148
General Manager, Transit Services Department
#23Matthew Dewan
$232,911
Fire Prevention Officer
#24Colleen Woolsey
$232,203
Deputy Chief, Community Standards and Communications
#25Adam Leclerc
$232,127
Licensed Mechanic

See all 5,181 employees in 2025 →

Download CSV (2025) →Released by the Government of Ontario under the Public Sector Salary Disclosure Act, 1996. Compiled by SunshineList.

Biggest Year-over-Year Increases
2024 → 2025

Michelle Foote at City Of Ottawa had the largest increase in disclosed pay on the 2025 Sunshine List: $200,350 to $316,660, up 58.1%.

Michelle Foote+58.1%
Associate Medical Officer of Health
$200,350 → $316,660
Matthew Dewan+51.0%
Fire Prevention Officer
$153,769 → $232,160
Trevor Arnason+23.7%
Medical Officer Health, Public Health
$270,912 → $335,113
Mark Boston+42.7%
Captain
$140,163 → $199,968
David Hebner+46.9%
Firefighter
$122,629 → $180,140

A year-over-year increase or decrease in disclosed pay can include overtime, a retroactive payment, a vacation payout or severance, not only a change in base pay, rate, or role — the Sunshine List discloses total salary paid that year, not a pay rate. This list is ranked by the dollar increase, not by the percentage shown.

754 people were new to City of Ottawa's list in 2025; 503 who were on it in 2024 were not. See the full 2025 roster →

See all pay increases at City of Ottawa →

By Year
full lists

Top Positions
2025 · 5 or more people