Management salaries up 42% at Kamloops city hall over three years

Kamloops taxpayers are paying a growing amount to pay city hall managers, and it has jumped substantially over the past three years.

In 2024, almost $16.9 million was paid to management who currently make up roughly 14 per cent of the total workforce. That’s a 42% jump from the total amount paid in 2021, according to figures obtained from the City of Kamloops through a Freedom of Information request.

That increase almost doubles wage increases for the city’s unionized workers. During the three-year period, the city spent 24% more on union employee wages, from a total of $39 million in 2021 to $49.2 million in 2024. Over ten years, the total paid to union employees increased by 33.5%, starting at $33.8 million in 2015.

The document obtained from the city compares ten years of wages paid to its management and union employees, starting in 2015.

In the past decade, the total paid to management climbed steadily from $10.2 million in 2015, but it was substantially boosted twice in three years, starting at $11.5 million in 2021 and climbing by 24% the next year.

In 2023, it went up another 4% to $14.8 million, then another 14% in 2024, according the figures obtained from the city.

But it’s not clear how many new managers were hired in that time to account for the steep increase.

According to a recent staff report, managers make up 14% of the city’s workforce. Just how many people that includes isn’t known, but it is an increase from 2015 when management made up 10% of the total employees with 112.

What is known is in 2024, 95 managers took home more than $100,000, while 16 more earned at least $75,000.

Last year’s financial reports won’t be released until June, so it’s not clear whether wages have increased since then, but city council did opt against freezing management wages when considering that option in January.

According to the report, the city expects to pay $650,000 more toward management staff in 2026, while the future is unclear for union employees as the city is currently negotiating with CUPE.