(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)
June 19, 2014 - 1:30 PM
VERNON - Around half the staff at the Regional District of North Okanagan are taking home at least $75,000 a year.
According to this year’s mandatory statement of financial information, 34 employees earned more than $75,000 in 2013, up from 24 employees in 2012.
David Sewell, the district’s chief financial officer, says the jump comes from a shift in management.
“One of the big changes that happened in 2013 was RDNO took over the Duteau water supply,” Sewell says. “We had always contracted it out to the City of Vernon.”
Staff were added to those operations, but Sewell says other employees now on the over $75,000 list are there because of raises.
“Some people who were at $74,000 moved up to $75,000 through inflation and are now on the list,” Sewell says.
While the total payroll for over $75,000 earners went up, the total payroll for those earning under $75,000 shrunk by 17 per cent to $2,760,626 from $3,227,405 in 2012.
“We’ve had some turnover in employees and we do try to promote from within,” Sewell says.
Sewell says there are about 66 full time staff between the head office, victim’s assistance and the water treatment operations. The rest of the employees are seasonal, temporary or paid on call. That means 51 per cent of the district’s full time employees are bringing home about 56 per cent of the total payroll.
The district’s total payroll for staff over and under $75,000 was $6,274,069 in 2013, up about ten per cent from $5,690,965 in 2012.
Director and committee member remuneration and expenses decreased slightly to $304,848 in 2013 from a total of $313,622 in 2012.
Those with the highest expenses were director Jacqueline Pearase, who was reimbursed for $7,947, director Patrick Fairbairn, reimbursed for $5,905 and Bob Fleming, with $4,198. They were also some of the highest paid directors.
To contact the reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infotelnews.ca or call 250-309-5230. To contact the editor, email mjones@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2014