A year of COVID cut down on expenses, but Council SOFI still comes close to 200 thousand mark

City Council members will receive the 2020 SOFI report
at Monday's  council session
(Photo from past City of PR home mailer)

A year of travel restrictions has had an impact on this years release of financial information from the City of Prince Rupert, with expenses down significantly through 2020, with the usual opportunities for travel for the Council membership cancelled in a year of COVID.

Prince Rupert City Council members will receive the annual Statement of Financial Information report at tomorrow evening's Council session, the delivery of the required information mandated by the province returning to the normal timeline of June as British Columbias municipalities return to more normal times for governance.

Last year the province had allowed for a delay in releasing the information after the province granted municipal governments an extra two months to put it all together owing to COVID.

The SOFI review for 2020 provides a look at the compensation for Mayor and Council, as well as their total expenses over the last year; in addition, the annual statement lists the salaries paid out by the City for those employees making 75,000 dollars or more.

The document also reviews spending on goods or services for the year ending December 2020.

The 2020 findings provide for a total salary, benefits and expenses level for the Mayor and six council members of $195,675 down from last years total of $235,856; the savings realized from a lack of travel and other expenses from last year.

Mayor Lee Brain leads the salary listings for the elected officials, his remuneration and taxable benefits for civic duties listed at $75,440, Mr. Brain also recorded $7,385 in expenses in 2020. 

When combined his Remuneration, Benefits and Expenses come to $82,825.

In addition to his Income derived from the City of Prince Rupert, Mr. Brain is also compensated for his work as part of Regional District, those fiscal results from the NCRD have yet to be announced.

When it comes to the city's six Council members, all received $18,750, compensation the new level which was put in place as part of the 2019 Salary review which also returned Mayor Brain to full time status and full time pay.

Expenses and Regional District duties made for some differences in the final financial results for each individual council member in 2020.

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Barry Cunningham (All Totals -- $18,750)

City of Prince Rupert remuneration $18,750 -- Expenses  $0

Reid Skelton Morven (All Totals -- $18,750)

City of Prince Rupert remuneration $18,750 -- Expenses $0

Wade Neish (All Totals -- $18,750)

City of Prince Rupert remuneration $18,750 -- Expenses $0

Gurvinder Randhawa (All Totals -- $ 18,750)

City of Prince Rupert remuneration $18,750  -- Expenses $0

Nick Adey (All Totals -- $18,750)

City of Prince Rupert remuneration $18,750 -- Expenses $350

Blair Mirau (All Totals -- $18,750)

City of Prince Rupert remuneration $18,750  -- Expenses $0

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As they have in the past, the City of Prince Rupert does not provide for an expanded or detailed review of the expenses incurred by elected civic officials, using the lump sum totals of the SOFI report towards their full disclosure.

Your first glimpse of the SOFI information for 2020 can be reviewed from the Agenda for the June 14th Regular Council session,   the full compilation of notes for the session can be found starting on page 17.

The SOFI documentation will be received following tomorrow night's City Council session which starts at 7PM, once received by Council the SOFI statement will be included as part of the complete package of financial information available on the City's Website.

You can also review the salary data for the last ten years from those archives.

The Salary and Expense review is just one of a number of elements from the SOFI report, as we work our way through the volume of information we'll provide for our overview of the city's notes below:

37 civic employees make the 100K cut in City Council SOFI presentation
Services and Supplies cost City of Prince Rupert over 38 million dollars in 2020
Optimism for the future, review of 2020's challenges the narrative for City of Prince Rupert Annual Report

More items of note on the City's budget process can be reviewed here, while our archive of articles on past City Council Discussion themes can be found here.  can be found here.