Monday, June 13, 2022

Civic payroll increases to sixteen million dollars-plus in listings of the 2021 SOFI Report



The city's report on employee remuneration will be reviewed at tonight's Prince Rupert City Council session and as the Council members work their way through range of material to be made available, they may take note of a new benchmark that has been reached with this years annual account for the taxpayers of the city.

That of the city surpassing the sixteen million dollar mark when it comes to compensation and taxable benefits for the city's work force, that for both city hall staff and unionized workers outside of the Third Avenue West facility.

That makes for an increase of a bit more than 1.3 million dollars from the report one year ago.

The report for Council provides for the latest roll call of city staff members that have jumped into the upper tiers of the salary schedules over the course of the last 365 days, with some new names and increasing numbers making their way onto the listings for this year.

Those findings come from the annual release of the report on Civic Employee Remuneration and Expenses, a document which is included as part of this years Statement of Financial Information for 2021.

The annual listings of those employees making more than $75,000 is required to be disclosed by the municipality as part of the Financial Information Regulations, the statement is usually released as part of the large final stream of financial information that is delivered each June.

This year finds 84 names listed in the 2021 SOFI disclosures as part of the latest report of those making more than 75,000 dollars.

That compares to the 88 names list in the 2020 SOFI report,  77 names recorded in 2019 and the 74 that were accounted for in 2018.

With 84 the  benchmark for 2021, this years report highlights an increasing level for civic employment in the city over the course of half a decade, with retirements and departures at the top end, balanced by other new hirings under the 75,000 dollar reporting mark.

By comparison, In 2015 the SOFI report listed 52 municipal employees as making 75,000 dollars or more, 37 of them accounted for in the 100,000 plus listings.

The 2021 report notes of 39 on the payroll making over the $100, 000 mark.

Travel and Training expenses rose int 2021, with the two categories combined coming to $220,439 which is an increase from a year ago when the total came to $209,056

Of note from the 2021 review is the final salary release for former City Manager Robert Long who  retired from his position last year

Mr. Long's final total remuneration came to $285,935 by the end of December 2021.

His replacement Rob Buchan, served as a contract planner for the City in 2021, a salary listing for that position in the SOFI documentation notes of a payment of $175,213, that is an increase from 2020's contract provisions.

Salaries for 2021 that were provided to those working in the upper level of Civic Administration included:

City Manager Robert Long
Remuneration and Taxable Benefits -- $226,068 
Other remuneration -- $69,867
Training and Related travel expenses -- $0
Business Travel and Other expenses -- $2,012
(Salary and Expense amounts make for an increase from last years report)

City Financial Office Corinne Bomben
Remuneration and Taxable Benefits -- $162,856
Training and Travel expenses -- $188
Business Travel and Other Expenses -- $1,700
( Salary marks a slight dip from 2020, Expenses amount makes for a decrease from last years report)

Director of Operations Richard Pucci
Remuneration and Taxable Benefits -- $167,734
Training and Travel Expenses $0
Business Travel and Other Expenses -- $27,908
(Salary is an increase from 2020, expense amounts make for a $5,000 increase from last years report)

Manager of Economic Development and Transportation Paul Venditelli
Remuneration and Taxable Benefits -- $124,104
Training and Travel Expenses $0
Business Travel and Other Expenses -- $20,180
(Salary is an increase from 2020, expense amounts make for a decrease  from last years report)

Corporate Administrator Rosa Maria Miller
Remuneration and Taxable Benefits -- $115,245
Training and Travel Expenses $1,100
Business Travel and Other Expenses -- $267
( Salary is an increase from 2020, Expense amounts make for a decrease  from last years report )

As it is with the expenses review for the elected City Council members; the City does not provide for a larger breakdown of expenses that are claimed by civic employees.

Among the list of  84 names that make for this years list  one of the largest blocks comes from the membership of the Prince Rupert Fire/Rescue Department, along with members of the roster of  911 Fire dispatchers who all are listed as part of the SOFI report for the past year.

The total salaries and expenses from those Fire/Rescue listings accounted for  over 3.3 million dollars for 2021 a significant jump in salaries from the 2020 report.

The remainder of the positions that are listed from the SOFI report span a number of departments from both civic administration and operations.

The total remuneration for employees making over 75,000 dollars in the last year came to $9,829,190 an increase of roughly $770,000 from the year before. 

Those civic employees making less that the $75,000 mark  in 2021 totalled $6,430,355 an increase of $538,963 from the year before.

The list below provides a better understanding of the remuneration pattern over the last decade, with the Total Employee Remuneration and Taxable Benefits noted as follows:

2021  -- $16,474,726
2020 -- $15,138,518
2019 -- $15,615,159
2018 -- $15,076,582
2017 -- $14,210,870
2016 -- $13,563,909
2015 -- $13,575,579
2014 -- $12,708,559
2013 -- $12,305,600
2012 -- $12,884,077
2011 -- $12,409,305
2010 -- $12,099,475

The most recent update on employment noted that in total the City of Prince Rupert employs approximately 259 full and part time employees and staff members.

The full documentation on Civic salaries can be found as part of the City Council Agenda Page  for Monday's session, the listings are published from pages 38 to 57 

Not listed as a department, but included as a payment to suppliers is payment of $3,994,298 to the Receiver General for Canada for RCMP E Division. That marks the amount that the City of Prince Rupert pays to the Federal Government for its contract policing agreement with the RCMP.

This years review makes for an  increase of 198,405 in policing from last years report.

Once the Statement of Financial Information report is received by City Council this Monday, it will become part of the permanent record of Financial information that is archived on the city website  offering up an opportunity to make year to year comparisons when it comes to City payroll spending.

You can compare this years notes and amounts above, with those of the past seven years from our archive pages below:

2021 (report year 2020)
2020 (report year 2019)
2019 (report year 2018)
2018 (report year 2017)
2017 (report year 2016)
2016 (report year 2015)
2015 (report year 2014)
2014 (report year 2013)


The Review of civic compensation is one of a number of reports for Council,  as we review the data from each, you can review the other notes on those below:



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