(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)

KAMLOOPS - A calendar quirk added to the amount spent on City of Kamloops staff last year, an amount which totalled more than $60 million when all was said and done.

The total is roughly $4 million more than in 2015, though that’s not all due to raises or new employees, according to the city’s statement of financial information. Last year contained an extra pay period, so employees received 27 pay cheques instead of the typical 26.

Backpay to firefighters after a contract resolution also contributed to the increase.

The big year means 172 city employees cracked the $100,000 barrier, 90 more than the year before. Of those, 117 were in the fire department, which has roughly 130 members. In total more than 290 city employees made the $75,000 or more list, which is more than a quarter of the city’s staff.

City directors once again topped the pay scale, with Chief Administrative Officer David Trawin holding top spot at more than $266,000. The city’s chief administrative officer also topped the expenses list, at more than $12,000. Overall expenses were down for city employees though, to $465,000, after reaching $547,000 the year before and $481,000 in 2013. 

Top five salaries (not including fire department)

• David Trawin, chief administrative officer — $266,396
• Byron McCorkell, director of parks, recreation and cultural — $206,317
• David Duckworth, director of corporate services and community safety — $198,029
• Marvin Kwiatkowski, director of development and engineering services — $197,858
• Douglas Stewart, assistant director of finance — $153,230

Top five salaries (fire department)

• Dale McLean, fire chief — $164,362
• Michael Adams, deputy fire chief — $163,556
• Curtis Bossert, assistant fire chief — $146,328
• David McMahon, assistant fire chief — $146,328
• Leslie Noel, assistant fire chief — $144,732

Council cost the city more than $376,000 in remuneration and expenses. Of that, Mayor Peter Milobar earned more than $99,400, with councillors earning between $30,000 and $31,000 each. Coun. Arjun Singh topped the expense list claiming more than $7,300.

In total the city paid 1,087 staff members more than $60 million in 2015.

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