Hired help doesn’t come cheap at City of West Kelowna

In his first full year as CAO of the City of West Kelowna, Paul Gipps pulled in wages of $234,723 in 2020.

That’s according to the annual Statement of Financial Information report going to city council on Tuesday.

Gipps started as CAO in July 2019 and made $104,696 with the city that year. He replaced Jim Zaffino who made $217,676 in his last full year in 2018.

Tracey Batten, West Kelowna’s Deputy CAO, made $198,981 in 2020. Allen Fillion, director of engineering/public works was the third highest paid civil servant at $172,590.

Local governments are required to make public the wages of all employees who make more than $75,000 a year. There were 118 City of West Kelowna workers who were above that threshold in 2020.

Governments also have to list the remuneration paid to elected officials, even though all those in West Kelowna are below the $75,000 threshold.

Mayor Gord Milsom was paid $73,495 and the six city councillors earned $24,535 each.

The report also lists expenses charged to each elected official and higher paid employees.

Milsom had $2,802 in expenses in 2020 but Coun. Jayson Zilkie surpassed him with $3,175. Coun. Carol Zanon claimed no expenses at all, the only councillor to do so.

On the staff side, Tony Reis, water treatment operator III racked up the most expenses at $3,419 while Eugene Harney, business systems analyst, charged $3,392.
Gipps, as CAO, claimed $1,988 in expenses while Batten, his deputy, only put in for $300.

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