Severance payments to a former top executive of the Erie St. Clair Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) will hit nearly $600,000 by the time they are complete this May.
Public sector salary disclosure for 2017 shows ex-CEO Gary Switzer was paid almost $290,000 of taxpayers' money, despite being terminated in May 2016.
He made $52,000 more than current CEO Ralph Ganter, last year.
LHIN Board Chair Martin Girash says Switzer had a lucrative contract dating back to 2006 that provided 24 months of severance.
"It's a huge amount of money, and I can understand people being shocked by it when they see it," says Girash. "It's cleaning up old business really, prior to 2008-09, way back to 2006 in this case, contracts that are no longer in vogue."
Girash says the board decided it wanted a "different-style CEO" after the organization's role significantly changed with the added responsibility of home and community care.
He says legally challenging Switzer's contract was not an option, adding the generous severance payout has come from administrative costs, and has not impacted frontline services.
-With files from Dave Dentinger
