The City of Nelson’s payroll grew over $1 million between 2021 and 2022, according to its statement of financial information, a rate of 8.1 per cent.
The inflation rate in the same period was 6.8 per cent, a record 40-year high.
The city paid $12,837,733 in salaries plus $275,036 in expenses for a total of $13,112,769 in 2022. The previous year, it paid $11,980,302 in salaries plus $66,161 in expenses for a total of $12,046,463. The difference was an increase of $1,066,306.
Thirty-one employees made at least $100,000 in 2022, unchanged from the previous year, while 74 employees made over $75,000, up from 63 in 2021.
The totals include Nelson Hydro but do not include the police department, whose salary figures have not traditionally been made public.
The top earners among staff were:
| Name | Position | Salary | Expenses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin Cormack | City manager | $194,644 | $5,723 |
| Scott Spencer | Nelson Hydro general manager | $193,317 | $1,797 |
| Jason Procyshyn | Nelson Hydro lead lineman | $162,262 | – |
| Jordon Rothkop | Nelson Hydro lineman | $150,141 | $473 |
| Trevor Harding | Nelson Hydro lineman | $149,092 | $473 |
All but Harding were also among the top earners the previous year.
Among the elected officials, new and returning:
| Name | Position | Salary | Expenses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nicole Charlwood | Councillor | $22,826 | $5,051 |
| John Dooley | Mayor | $54,219 | $8,916 |
| Rik Logtenberg | Councillor | $28,129 | $5,893 |
| Janice Morrison | Councillor/Mayor | $32,772 | $3,372 |
| Keith Page | Councillor | $28,129 | $8,814 |
| Leslie Payne | Councillor | $5,379 | $473 |
| Jessie Pineiro | Councillor | $5,379 | $473 |
| Cal Renwick | Councillor | $22,826 | – |
| Kate Tait | Councillor | $5,579 | $473 |
| Jesse Woodward | Councillor | $28,129 | $2,702 |
| Total | $233,166 | $36,166 |
Logtenberg, Woodward, and Page were all re-elected last fall and therefore served a full year, while Payne, Pineiro, and Tait were new to council. Charlwood and Renwick did not stand for another term while Dooley was not re-elected. Morrison was previously a councillor before being elected mayor.
The total paid in stipend to councillors was up $27,697 (13.5 per cent) over 2021, but a much bigger increase, both percentage-wise and in actual dollars, was seen in expenses, which jumped $31,570 (687 per cent).
The reason? Travel.
“We had postponed all travel through the pandemic,” Logtenberg explained in an email.
“We’re back to regular business now, which involves conferences like Union of BC Municipalities and Federation of Canadian Municipalities. These conferences are our best chances to meet ministers and senior staff so that we can make the case for better provincial and federal policy related to our city and for more investment in our region.”
Councillors also attended other conferences and meetings and the new councillors attended a Local Government Leadership Academy training for conference, which happens once per term.