Kelowna's staff good bang for buck?

Question: Do you agree with Mayor Sharon Shepherd that Kelowna`s payroll is doing well despite a 10 per cent increase?

Yes 103
No 499

Total Votes: 602

Wayne Moore Jun 28, 2010 / 6:00 pm CASTANET
Kelowna's mayor says its citizens are getting a good bang for their buck in terms of staff salaries. Sharon Shepherd made the comments as City Council gets ready to accept the city's 2009 Annual Report on salaries and expenditures. The report which will be tabled Monday shows staff salaries reached $54.1 million in 2009, an increase of 10% over 2008 staff salaries of $49.2 million. "Our city has a staff of over 800," says Shepherd. "Things have slowed down in the economy and we have had to hold the line on staff vacancies. We have been working with less people when times are tough." Shepherd says the were no management salary increases in 2009 and there will be none in 2010. She says several salaries went up in 2009 after increases were agreed to late in 2008. The mayor adds that union negotiated contracts for firefighters and CUPE employees also increased significantly because of contracts negotiated several years ago. The city is currently into negotiations with CUPE on a new contract. Negotiations with firefighters will begin after the CUPE deal is hammered out.

The city is obligated through the municipal act to publicly report all salaries over $75,000. The number of staff earning $75,000 or more reached 209 in 2009, up from 153 the previous year. That number includes 93 members of the Kelowna Fire Department. "Any firefighter who works over four years will make over $75,000 and that's a fact," adds Shepherd. "That was part of the collectively bargained agreement." A portion of the salaries for Kelowna firefighters represents overtime as a result of wildfires in West Kelowna. Those monies will be reimbursed by the Provincial Emergency Program.

Full List at Item 7.02 - 2009 Annual Report.pdf (1521kb) (2010-06-25)