By Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star - May 09, 2008
North Okanagan Regional District officials are defending the salaries and expenses of employees. Financial statements show that $5.1 million was paid out to employees in 2007. That includes $4.9 million in wages and $173,446 in expenses. “You need to look at what the salaries represent and the work those people do,” said Jerry Oglow, NORD chairman. According to Oglow, the number of functions provided by the regional district require a certain level of staff and many of them must have specific skills and expertise. There were 16 employees who earned more than $75,000 last year, including six over $100,000. Leading the list was former chief administrative officer Barry Gagnon at $167,547 ($163,624 in wages and $3,923 in expenses). He resigned in March 2006. “His severance agreement had him on the books in that fashion instead of a lump-sum (payout),” sad Oglow.The last year of payment for Gagnon will be 2008.
Brian Reardon, the current administrator, received a salary of $153,681 and expenses of $11,141 in 2008. Next was Alan Harris, chief financial officer, with remuneration of $115,856 and expenses of $4,956. Greg Betts, electoral area general manager, had a salary of $110,991 and expenses of $7,224, while Al McNiven, parks and recreation administrator, had $104,729 in wages and $773 in expenses. Mike Stamhuis, former engineering director, was paid $102,620 in 2007, while he received $1,522 in expenses. Oglow admits that many North Okanagan residents are going through challenging financial times, but he insists that such compensation is necessary for NORD staff. “Whether we have difficult times or not, people still demand services. Just because people are struggling doesn’t mean the community stops growing,” he said. Oglow also points out that the high cost of living has also made it hard to lure staff to the North Okanagan, especially when the private sector has even higher salaries. “We are having a very difficult time attracting people,” he said.
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Politicians defending taxpayer-funded salaries
By Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star - May 09, 2008
Significant taxpayers’ dollars were pumped into politicians’ pockets last year. In 2007, 34 North Okanagan Regional District directors and alternate directors received $278,339 in both remuneration and expenses. “It’s the price of doing business,” said Cliff Kanester, BX-Swan Lake director. Leading the pack was chairman Jerry Oglow, who had a wage of $31,867 and expenses of $4,762, for a total of $36,629. But not far behind was rural Lumby director Rick Fairbairn, with a salary of $28,486 and expenses of $1,636, for a total of $30,122. “It’s an indication of the number of committees they’ve asked me to attend,” said Fairbairn, who chairs the Electoral Area Services Committee and represents NORD at valley-wide functions. Fairbairn insists the remuneration is justified, especially when the workload and responsibility is considered. “For every hour you attend a meeting, there is at least an hour to prepare by reading the agenda and researching issues. It’s more than a full-time job,” he said. Among individual directors, rural Enderby’s Herman Halvorson had the highest expenses at $6,989. “I don’t know why it’s so high but they are what they are,” he said, adding that the expenses are related directly to attending meetings on behalf of his constituents and NORD. “I certainly haven’t stepped out of bounds and everything has been approved.” When salary is included, Halvorson received $26,671 last year.
Kanester had remuneration of $24,632 and expenses of $894, for a total of $25,526.“If I was working in the private sector and spent the time I did on politics, I’d make $75,000 or more,” he said. Kanester says that while no one gets into politics for the money, there has to be some recognition it has on an individual’s career and family life. “One of the reasons we don’t get people into politics is partly because of the pay. I don’t think anyone who is not retired or doesn’t own their own business could do it.” Of the municipal directors, Coldstream’s Gary Corner was the highest at $18,665 (that is straight salary with no expenses claimed). Corner is chairman of the Greater Vernon Services Committee.
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