The City of Nelson spent about $1.5 million more on salaries and employee expenses in 2025 than it did the year before.
Council approved the city’s 2025 Statement of Financial Information (SOFI) report as part of its annual report last week. Municipalities 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 128 employees who earned at least that amount in 2025, up from 112 in 2024. The report also lists 177 vendors who were paid more than $25,000, up slightly from 173 the previous year.
Deputy finance director Aimee Mooney said the report also includes the city’s audited financial statements.
She noted the city held nearly $49 million in investments at the end of the year to support its reserves and said long-term debt has continued to decline.
“Our debt levels of $4 million are being repaid as planned,” she said. “Ten years ago, in 2015, the city had $18 million in debt.”
Salaries
The city paid out $17,946,868 in salaries last year and $341,563 in employee expenses for a total of $18,288,431.
That represents an increase of $1,505,919 from the $16,782,512 paid out in salaries and employee expenses in 2024.
The totals include remuneration paid to city staff, Nelson Fire & Rescue Services members and Nelson Hydro employees.
However, they do not include the Nelson Police Department, whose salaries have historically not been made public.
The top earners among staff were:
| Name | Position | Salary | Expenses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin Cormack | Chief administrative officer | $226,433 | $12,115 |
| Scott Spencer | Nelson Hydro general manager | $217,211 | $2,451 |
| Chris Johnson | General manager of community planning, climate and infrastructure | $175,184 | $10,302 |
| Dana Hamilton | Nelson Hydro employee | $174,550 | $3,978 |
| Jason Procyshyn | Nelson Hydro employee | $171,274 | $8,448 |
With 128 employees appearing in this year’s SOFI report, Mayor Janice Morrison said the $75,000 reporting threshold no longer reflects current wage levels.
“I think the intent of the SOFI report is slowly going away from what it was originally intended for,” she said.
“I think it was $75,000 when I was on council in 1999. That is a ridiculous figure to have there given the escalation in costs and the greatness of wage improvements over time.”
Morrison said the city has previously lobbied the provincial government to raise the threshold to $100,000.
She also noted the report can create a misleading impression of employee pay because it includes all earnings, not just base salaries.
CAO Kevin Cormack reminded council the remuneration figures include all income earned during the year, including overtime.
“Our hydro employees, that includes all their overtime,” he said. “Fire is another good example where they have a fair amount of overtime hours on their salaries as well.”
Elected officials
| Name | Position | Salary | Expenses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Janice Morrison | Mayor | $73,672 | $15,586 |
| Keith Page | Councillor | $29,689 | $8,745 |
| Rik Logtenberg | Councillor | $28,989 | $9,550 |
| Leslie Payne | Councillor | $28,989 | $7,919 |
| Jessie Pineiro | Councillor | $28,989 | $1,095 |
| Kate Tait | Councillor | $28,989 | $10,802 |
| Jesse Woodward | Councillor | $28,989 | $11,384 |
| Total | $248,306 | $65,081 |
Total remuneration paid to council increased by $6,684 from 2024, while expenses increased by $25,985.
The SOFI report also noted that the city added around $16 million in capital assets in 2025, including work on the Civic Theatre roof, road paving, hydro infrastructure upgrades, vehicle replacements, and improvements to its generating station and substations.
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