The City of Nelson’s payroll grew by over $2.4 million last year compared to 2023, according to its Statement of Financial Information.
Council approved the City’s 2024 Annual Report on June 18. Local governments are required to prepare and approve the report before June 30 each year.
The report aims to provide the public with a clear understanding of the City’s financial position and activities over the past year. It discloses all vendors who were paid more than $25,000 and employees who earned more than $75,000.
There were 112 City employees who earned at least that amount in 2024, and 173 vendors who were paid more than $25,000.
Salaries
The City paid out $16,421,588 in salaries and $360,930 in expenses last year, for a grand total of $16,782,512.
This is a $2,428,993 increase from the $14,353,519 paid out in salaries and expenses in 2023.
The totals include remunerations paid to City staff, Nelson Fire & Rescue Services members, and Nelson Hydro employees.
However, they do not include the police department, whose salaries have historically not been made public.
Three Nelson Fire & Rescue Services members were among the highest earners, which CAO Kevin Cormack says is largely because the City and Fire Service finalized a new collective agreement last year that originally expired in 2019.
“There’s four years of retro payments in their salaries there. So it all shows up in this one year. So that’s not the typical salary of firefighters. It’s the retro impact of almost five years of not having a collective agreement.”
The top earners among staff were:
| Name | Position | Salary | Expenses |
| Kevin Cormack | City manager | $217,338 | $13,808 |
| Scott Spencer | Nelson Hydro general manager | $208,516 | $6,750 |
| Marc Thibault | Nelson Fire Captain | $198,739 | $2,907 |
| Scott Jeffery | Nelson Fire Captain | $190,427 | $5 |
| Rick Maida | Assistant Fire Chief | $184,759 | $525 |
For elected officials:
| Name | Position | Salary | Expenses |
| Rik Logtenberg | Councillor | $28,289 | $6,360 |
| Janice Morrison | Councillor/Mayor | $71,888 | $12,361 |
| Keith Page | Councillor | $28, 289 | $1,325 |
| Leslie Payne | Councillor | $28, 289 | $10,466 |
| Jessie Pineiro | Councillor | $28, 289 | $1,466 |
| Kate Tait | Councillor | $28, 289 | $5,574 |
| Jesse Woodward | Councillor | $28, 289 | $1,544 |
| Total | $241,622 | $39,096 |
The total paid to councillors was up $6,505 from 2023, with expenses increasing by $4,244.
The City’s long-term debt stood at $4.9 million at the end of 2024, representing a $1 million decrease from the year prior.
Expenses increased by $5 million, or 10 per cent, in 2024. This can be attributed to general wage increases, one-time grant-funded expenses, and inflationary pressures the City says have affected the price of materials and supplies.
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