Upswing in payroll at Vernon city hall

VERNON – There’s been a hike in payroll at the City of Vernon.

Staff salaries went up over half a million dollars last year, according to financial information released in a 2014 annual report. 

The city shelled out more than $21.7 million in pay and expenses for its employees in 2014, up nearly $520,000 over 2013. Among city staff, 92 earned more than $75,000 — eight more than in 2013. The highest paid employees include chief administrative officer Will Pearce, who made about $181,500 plus $6,600 in expenses, and engineering manager Rob Dickinson, at about $128,000 in salary and $2,600 in expenses. Of the top earners, many stem from the Fire Rescue Services division, including fire chief Keith Green with a salary of more than $133,000 and $5,100 in expenses.

The city is not required to publish individual salaries for employees making under $75,000. Of the total 2014 payroll, the employees making more than $75,000 accounted for $8.6 million and those under brought home the remaining $13.1 million.

Wages and expenses have also been revealed for city council. Former mayor Rob Sawatzky was paid nearly $67,600 in salary and expenses in 2014, while councillors Juliette Cunningham, Catherine Lord, Mary Jo O’Keefe, Brian Quiring, and Bob Spiers took home between $22,000 and $26,000. Coun. Patrick Nicol, who died in January 2014, received $1,050 and new councillors Dalvir Nahal and Scott Anderson were paid about $1,700 and $2,100 respectively. New Vernon mayor Akbal Mund received $5,300 in pay and expenses.

More information can be found on pages 57-61 of the 2014 annual report.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infonews.ca or call 250-309-5230. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.