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Council sets salaries for four new or high‑priority roles including DCT CEO and Cannabis director
Summary
After excluding four roles from an across‑the‑board plan, the council set a $187,000 base for the DCT CEO, adopted the statutory plug for the Children, Youth & Families commissioner, ratified EMS director pay, and adjusted the Cannabis director salary to parity with a comparable commissioner with step‑up adjustments.
The Compensation Council completed separate salary decisions for four positions the body had excluded from its across‑the‑board recommendation.
- Chief Executive Officer, Direct Care & Treatment (DCT): The council adopted a plug base of $187,000 and directed staff to apply the council’s adopted inflation increases (3.9% then 4.0%). Members noted the job carries responsibility for thousands of staff and significant program budgets, and supported a competitive starting figure.
- Commissioner, Children, Youth & Families (DCYF): The council adopted the statutory plug number listed in the packet (recorded by staff) and applied the same inflationary adjustments. Staff noted the position had been tied to a statutory figure that the council could revisit as the department’s structure and duties became clearer.
- Director, Office of Emergency Medical Services (EMS): The council confirmed a current director and base salary ($139,917 as listed) and approved applying the adopted 3.9%/4.0% increases.
- Executive Director, Office of Cannabis Management (OCM): The interim director’s salary had been recorded in the managerial plan at roughly $190,800. Members debated whether the OCM director should be the highest‑paid agency head; some argued the complexity of creating regulatory systems justified a higher rate, while others raised optics relative to larger agencies. After failed attempts to lower the figure immediately, the council adopted an approach that norms the OCM director to a comparable commissioner level (DEED commissioner parity) and applies the council’s inflationary steps, producing the announced July 1, 2025 and July 1, 2026 figures.
Why it matters: These four positions are newly structured or carry unique operational risks and recruitment challenges. Setting competitive pay now affects the pool of candidates and operational startup for new agencies.
Next steps: Staff will publish the finalized base numbers and the exact step‑up amounts resulting from the council’s 3.9%/4.0% schedule in the draft report.
