The Regional District of Central Kootenay’s overall payroll went up 13 per cent between 2020 and 2021, from a total of $14.4 million to $16.3 million, a difference of $1.9 million.
According to the RDCK’s annual statement of financial information, there were 50 staff members earning $75,000 or more in 2021, compared to 45 the previous year, and 18 making $100,000 or more, up from 15 in 2020.
The top earners were as follows:
| Name | Title | Salary | Expenses | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stuart Horn | CAO/CFO | $244,536 | $5,961 | $250,497 |
| Connie Saari-Heckley | HR manager | $143,250 | $3,348 | $146,598 |
| Nora Hannon | Regional fire chief | $143,532 | $701 | $144,233 |
| Sangita Sudan | General manager, development and community sustainability | $142,281 | $1,602 | $143,883 |
| Uli Wolf | General manager, environmental services | $142,281 | $500 | $142,781 |
| Joe Chirico | General manager, community services | $142,281 | 0 | $142,281 |
The same six people were also the RDCK’s top earners in 2020, although in a different order. They also each made a bit more that year because of how the pay periods fell. In Horn’s case, he earned $255,306 in salary and was reimbursed $6,857 in expenses for a total of $262,163.
Those earning over $75,000 accounted for just over $5 million in salary and expenses combined in 2021, while the overall payroll including all employees was $16.3 million. In 2020, those earning over $75,000 accounted for $4.6 million in salary and expenses, while the overall payroll was $14.4 million.
On the elected officials side, the total tab in 2021 came to $802,447 in salary plus $31,455 in expenses for a total of $833,901, up 3.7 per cent from the previous year when the board of directors was paid a combined $762,655 plus expenses of $41,470 for a total of $804,125.
Chair Aimee Watson topped the list with a salary of $89,490 and expenses of $769 for a total of $90,259. The base salary for rural directors was $41,484 and for municipal directors $16,092, compared to $40,752 and $15,804 the year before.
Watson got an extra $48,000 for being chair and vice-chair Walter Popoff another $25,000. In 2020, Watson made a total of $89,457 including expenses.