The yearly chance to see what the city's highest ranking employees make for a living happened this week with the release of the 2015 Remuneration and Expenses Report.
At the top of the 370-names-long list of city employees earning more than $75,000 is city manager Ron Mattiussi, who made $285,000 in 2015, which is a $14,000 salary bump from the previous year.
A close second is Paul Macklem, deputy city manager, who earned $209,000. Rounding out the top three is John Vos, the corporate business ventures director, who $186,000 in his last year of employment in the city.
By provincial law, municipalities must release the names and salaries of staff who make more than $75,000 by the end of June, and there are 370 city employees, including managers and unionized staff who are in that pay grade.
Of them, 156 City of Kelowna staff can boast earning more than $100,000. Over 100 on that list were firefighters, which prompted an explanation from the city to be released.
Retroactive salary payments to firefighters created a spike in numbers in the 2015 report on Remuneration and Expenses going to Council on Monday. Retroactive salary payments cover the years 2012 through 2015. A similar spike occurred in 2013 when retroactive payments were made for the years 2010 and 2011.
Following several years of delays and overdue agreements that were common throughout the province, the City of Kelowna and the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) settled a seven-year agreement in June 2015. The result was retroactive payments for wage increases in 2012, 2013, 2014 and half of 2015 at a total cost of $2.1 million.
“While local governments are not able to control these provincial wage settlements, the City and IAFF were able to agree on some new contract language that will help reduce costs for overtime, dispatch and administrative services,” said the City of Kelowna’s lead negotiator, Stu Leatherdale, Divisional Director of Human Resources & Corporate Performance.
The Top 10 wage earners at the City of Kelowna
Ron Mattiussi, city manager, $285,000
Paul Macklem, deputy city manager, $209,000
John Vos, (retired)corporate business ventures director, $186,000
Sam Samaddar, airport director, $179,000
Joe Creron, civic operations director, $165,000
Alan Newcombe, infrastructure director, $163,000,
Jim Gabriel, director, active living and culture, $163,000
Rob Mayne, director, corporate and protective services, $163,000,
Stu Leatherdale, human resources director, $161,000
Doug Gilchrist, community planning and real estate director, $160,000,