By Pepper Parr
March 30th, 2026
BURLINGTON.
The data in the 2026 Sunshine list covers everyone; it includes the Police services across the province.
Chief Steve Tanner earned $454,083.00 in 2025, plus almost $20,000 in benefits.
We were not able to find out what the $32,598 in benefits included.
This is a salary that is close to half a million dollars in a single year
Put in context with what other Police Chiefs earn, this is an astounding amount.
Lisa Kearns, a member of the Police Services Board, proved not to be available for comment.
That Regional Police Chief Steve Tanner is so high on this list is astonishing.
Steve Tanner: Paid more than the Chiefs in Toronto and Hamilton.
Tanner was at one point a police officer in Burlington. He moved around developing his skills and returned to Burlington as Chief in September of 2013. He left Kingston and returned to Burlington.
The Swearing In and Change of Command ceremony took place at the Convention Centre. It was more of a love-in than a change of command – even though one guy gave the other guy a sword. Steve Tanner had come home and they were lined up to give him hugs or salute him. It was a standing room only event.
Related news stories:
Steve Tanner and the career that brought him back to Burlington as the top cop.
Halton’s police chief ‘remorseful’ about Florida trip, but says he won’t step down
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Correct steve tanner wen to florida I saw him at the beach. Steve Tanner own fraud police officers were involved in a ponzi scheme fraud and the Mayor gave them full budget plus a million dollars. Its time Burlington gazette to look deeper
Wasn’t Steve Tanner the Chief of Police who went to Florida during the Covid 19 pandemic when people were told not to travel? ( correct me if I am mistaken).
Guess it is better to beg for forgiveness rather than ask for permission.
Absolutely ridiculous. Why should he make more than the Toronto Chief? Hell, why should he make more than the PM of Canada? Carney should resign and apply for the job. He’d make about $50,000 more per year.
The Police Board isn’t doing their job. Whatever formula they’re using to determine the Chief’s compensation should:
a) be made public, after all it’s the public that’s footing the bill, and
b) be totally revamped
I suspect, but don’t know, that crlme statistics are a major part of the formula. That might explain the crazy (mostly) ups and downs, e.g. going from 3 murders to 1 murder would be a 67% decrease. If they are making such year to year comparisons they should replace them with comparing ten year averages. Plus the formula needs to be revised to bring the average year to year percentage increase down to single digits, more in line with increases in the cost of living stats.
When the Chief retires they should hire a replacement at a hefty reduction in from the current salary.