The City of Revelstoke paid approximately $230,000 more in wages in 2019 compared to 2018.
According to its Statement of Financial Information, the city in 2018 paid out $6.66 million compared to $6.89 million in 2019. Both amounts include mayor and councils’ remuneration but not money paid to contractors.
READ MORE: City of Revelstoke pays $6.66 million in wages in 2018
The Statement of Financial Information, which is required annually by the province, includes a list of assets and liabilities, a schedule of debts and other city financial statements.
While 2018s highest earner was former CAO Allan Chabot, in 2019 firefighter David Mohn, who is the current interim fire chief, was paid the most at just over $130,000, and claimed around $2,500 in expenses. Dawn Low, who was the interim CAO starting in July before being hired full time in December, made almost $117,000 and claimed just over $8,000 in expenses.
The statement lists city employees who are paid more than $75,000 a year. In 2019 the list included 27 people, for a total of $2.71 million.
The list includes eight firefighters, ranging in pay from $80,000 to $130,000 a year.
According to the city’s annual report, Revelstoke Fire Rescue Services had nine staff members in 2019 and 32 volunteers. They responded to 435 calls, 22 of which were fires, 99 were motor-vehicle incidents and 130 were first-responder calls.
City council remuneration and claimed expenses are also listed in the statement. It was this council’s first full year in office, as they were elected in October 2018. Each councillor was paid $15,960, while the mayor was paid $34,680. The mayor also claimed the most expenses at almost $11,000.
There were 30 council meetings held in 2019, including both regular and special meetings. According to meeting minutes, Coun. Cody Younker missed six of those, not including meetings in which he may have stepped out early.
Meanwhile, Mayor Gary Sulz attended every meeting, and the other councillors missed only one meeting each, except for former Coun. Steven Cross who missed three.
Cross resigned from his position in Jan. 2020.
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Councillors also sit on various committees as part of their role. Nicole Cherlet sits on the most, seven, while Sulz, Rob Elliott and Michael Brooks-Hill sit on five committees each. Jackie Rhind and Younker sit on four each.
The statement lists grants paid by the city exceeding $25,000. Recipients included Community Connections, Revelstoke Arts Council, Revelstoke Chamber of Commerce, Revelstoke Community Childcare Society, Revelstoke Cycling Association, Revelstoke Fab Lab Society, Revelstoke Golf Club, Revelstoke Museum & Archives and Revelstoke Visual Arts Society for a total of around $679,000.
According to the report, the city also collects and pays third-party taxes exceeding $25,000 to the BC Assessment Authority, Columbia Shuswap Regional District, Ministry of Finance and Corporate Relations (school tax), North Okanagan Regional Health District and the Okanagan Regional Library for a total of $5.69 million.
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