The Ontario Securities Commission continued to ratchet up its payroll in 2001 according to public sector salary information released by Ontario’s Ministry of Finance.

The OSC boasts 93 employees with salaries in excess of $100,000 for a total $13.5 million, plus $69,000 in total taxable benefits. This is up from 67 employees making $100,000 in 2000, and just 38 in 1999.

The top earner at the OSC remains its chairman, David Brown, who enjoyed a modest raise from $540,000 in 2000 to $551,531; plus $9,841 in taxable benefits.

No other OSC employee made as much as $400,000 in 2001, with the retirement of vice chair Jack Geller. Current vice chair, Howard Wetston makes $381,189. There’s $366,036 for executive director Charlie Macfarlane. And, commission member, Paul Moore, special counsel Jay Naster and head of enforcement Mike Watson, are the only others above $200,000.

By contrast, the folks at OSC merger partner, FSCO, managed just 14 employees making more than $100,000 for a total $1.77 million. This is up from 11 last year.

Another 36 employees at the Finance Ministry made the cut, for a combined $4.3 million. And the pension giant, OMERS, put 68 of its employees in the top-paid group, for a total $11.9 million. Its top portfolio manager Tom Gunn led the way at a Brown-esque $512,794.