SOFI season has wrapped up on the West Coast, giving local taxpayers a look at how much they’re paying their elected officials and district staffers.
Under the Financial Information Act, municipalities in B.C. had until June 30 to publish their Statements of Financial Information laying out their previous year’s salaries and both Tofino and Ucluelet got their respective statements in on time.
Tofino, population 1,932, paid its district staff $2,583,661 in 2020, up from $2,425,860 in 2019. Ucluelet, population 1,717 paid it’s district staff $2,171,093 in 2020, up from $1,960,154 in 2019.
Tofino paid nine employees over $75,000 in 2020 with chief administrative officer Bob MacPherson earning the highest salary at $175,815. Equipment operator George Hubert earned $113,631. Director of financial services Nyla Attiana earned $112,970. Manager of community sustainability Aaron Rodgers earned $104,016. Manager of public spaces, cultural and visitor initiatives April Froment earned $102,333. Manager of corporate services Elyse Goatcher Bergmann earned $95,945. Fire chief and manager of protective services Brent Baker earned $94,261. Director of infrastructure and public works Fraser Work earned $81,231. Utility lead and water operator Bradley Evans earned $77,148.
READ MORE: District of Tofino slashes spending and taxation due to COVID-19
Ucluelet paid 13 employees over $75,000 in 2020 with the town’s chief administrative officer Mark Boysen earning the highest salary at $146,466. Boysen resigned from the position in February 2021.
Chief financial officer Donna Monteith earned $112,693. Manager of community planning Bruce Grieg earned $106,552. Manager of parks and recreation Abby Fortune earned $103,166. Manager of public works Warren Cannon earned $97,919. Fire chief Richard Geddes earned $87,929. Public works foreman Brent Taron earned $84,564. Manager of corporate services Joseph Rotenberg earned $83,622. Bylaw officer Brent Ashton earned $81,202. Planner 1 John Towgood earned $81,575. Finance supervisor Tamara Nelson earned $76,979. Utility operator John McDiarmid $75,585. Recreation programmer Barbara Gudbranson earned $75,385.
READ MORE: Ucluelet CAO Mark Boysen resigns
Cumberland, population of 3,753, paid its staff $2,637,406 with 11 employees earning over $75,000 and chief administrative officer Clayton Postings earning the highest salary at $115,399.
Lake Cowichan, population 3,226, paid its staff $1,495,333 with five employees earning over $75,000 and chief administrative officer Joseph Fernandez earning the highest salary at $136,401.
Port McNeill, population 2,064, paid its staff $838,617 with three employees earning over $75,000 and chief administrative officer Pete Nelson-Smith earning the highest salary at $100,373.
Port Alice, population 664, paid its staff $491,425 with two employees earning over $75,000 and finance officer/Deputy CAO Bonnie Danyk earning the highest salary at $109,872.
In terms of elected officials, Tofino’s seven member council earned $117,652 in 2020, down from $127,655 in 2019.
Mayor Josie Osborne earned $24,009 before resigning the position to run for the Mid-Island Pacific Rim MLA seat as the NDP candidate and securing an election win. Coun. Al Anderson earned $15,878. Coun. Andrea McQuade earned $15,878. Coun. Britt Chalmers earned $15,728. Coun. Tom Stere earned $15,603. Coun. Dan Law earned $15,278. Coun. Duncan McMaster earned $15,278.
Councillors Law and McQuade resigned their seats in December to run for the mayor’s seat left vacant by Osborne’s resignation. Law was elected mayor in 2021.
READ MORE: Two Tofino councillors plan to resign seats and run for mayor
Ucluelet paid its five-member council $97,124 in 2020, down from $105,391 in 2019.
Mayor Mayco Noel earned $29,336. Coun. Marilyn McEwen earned $19,118. Coun. Jennifer Hoar earned $16,758. Coun. Rachelle Cole earned $16,033. Coun. Lara Kemps earned $15,878.
Port McNeill paid its five-member council $59,939, with mayor Gabriele Wickstrom earning $18,821 and each of the town’s four councillors earning $10,279.
Cumberland paid its five-member council $65,910 with mayor Leslie Baird earning $21,430 and each of the town’s four councillors earning $11,120.
Port Alice paid its five member council $43,351 in 2020 with mayor Kevin Cameron earning $11,823 and each of the town’s four councillors earning $7,882.
Lake Cowichan paid its five-member council $76,258 with mayor Rod Peters earning $12,440 before resigning in July. Mayor Bob Day was elected in October and earned $3,313 for the rest of the year. The town paid its four councillors between $14,312 and $17,569 in 2020.
andrew.bailey@westerlynews.caLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
READ MORE: Municipal salaries in Tofino and Ucluelet 2019
READ MORE: Municipal salaries in Tofino and Ucluelet 2018
READ MORE: Behest of the West: I can’t find sense in these salaries
