Fire and chief administrative officers lead the remuneration list of municipal employees on the Saanich Peninsula, while Central Saanich Mayor Ryan Windsor is the highest paid elected official.
These facts emerged from the respective 2020 statements of financial information from Central Saanich, North Saanich and Sidney.
Windsor made $41,733 as mayor, having claimed $4,178 in expenses. In North Saanich, Mayor Geoff Orr’s remuneration totalled $31,234 with $100 in expenses, while in Sidney, Mayor Cliff McNeil-Smith’s pay totalled $39,275 having claimed $435 in expenses.
Central Saanich’s top-paid employee was Fire Chief Chris Vrabel at $149,020 with $3,121 in expenses. Next came fire officer Robert Syverson at $147,758 ($688 expenses) and Jarret Matanowitsch, director of planning, who made $144,172 ($2,087 expenses).
Not found on the list are two severance agreements governing payments between the municipality and former employees paid in fiscal year 2020, which represent three months of compensation, and 18 months of compensation and reimbursement of legal and phone fees, respectively.
Former chief administrative officer Patrick Robins received a one-time payment of $317,000 after suddenly leaving the municipality in February 2020. At the time, Windsor said both sides had agreed to go in “different direction by mutual agreement.” Robins’ last reported salary was $176,828.
North Saanich’s highest-paid employee was CAO Tim Tanton, with remuneration of $164,857 ($5,074 claimed in expenses). Next were Eymond Toupin, director of engineering services, at $159,122 ($767 expenses) and former director of corporate services, Curt Kingsley, who was paid $151,825 ($1,142 expenses).
Sidney’s top-paid employee was Fire Chief Brett Mikkelsen with a remuneration of $188,569 ($3,097 expenses), followed by CAO Randy Humble at $188,337 ($309 expenses).
RELATED: UPDATED: Central Saanich takes remuneration issue off the table for now
Among pay rates for councillors, Central Saanich’s Chris Graham, Carl Jensen, Gordon Newton, Niall Paltiel and Robert Thompson each received $18,117 while Coun. Zeb King received $16,976.
Couns. Heather Gartshore, Jack McClintock, Patricia Pearson, Brett Smyth, Celia Stock and Murray Weisenberger each received $16,258 in North Saanich.
Couns. Barbara Fallot, Terri O’Keeffe and Peter Wainwright each received a total of $17,217 in Sidney, while Couns. Sara Duncan, Scott Garnett and Chad Rintoul received $15,688.
Sidney corporate officer Sandi Nelson said the rates differ because some councillors have chosen to receive medical coverage and other benefits from the municipality, which are considered a taxable benefit.
Broadly, remuneration includes any form of salary, wages and taxable benefits paid by the municipality. As Sidney staff says in its report, expenses are not limited to items that are considered benefits to employees, but include required expenses to perform their jobs.
“In fact, most of the listed expenses relate to payments made on behalf of employees for attendance at conferences and other training opportunities; only a small portion of the listed expenses is typically paid directly to the employee,” it reads.
Do you have a story tip? Email: vnc.editorial@blackpress.ca.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.
