By Gagandeep Ghuman
Published: Nov. 9, 2013
Two severance agreements signed between the district and non-union employees cost the tax payers $136,421.
The district paid $109, 754 in severance agreement to one employee, which includes 10 months of salary and benefits.
The other employee received $26,667, which includes 2.5 months of salary and benefits. The employees remain unnamed.
District released the numbers, along with other financial information annual Statement of Financial Information (SOFI).
SOFI, available with a simple web search, gives citizens the ability to look at staff and council salaries, along with payouts to contractors and consultants hired by the district.
Source: DOS
The latest SOFI reveals that district staff making more than $75,000 has increased over last year.
Municipalities are required by the Local Government Act to reveal the salaries of all employees earning over $75,000 per year.
Over the last five years, there has been only a slight increase in the number of district staff making over $75,000.
There were 31 district employees who made more than $75,000 in 2012, while in 2011, only 28 employees made that list.
The top earner in the district this year was the general manager of corporate services, who was paid $122,864.
Following closely was the general manager of financial services, with an annual salary of $122,507.
The GM of development, engineering, and operation was third on the list with $116,313, followed by two fire fighters, who made $108, 714 and 107, 717 respectively.
The district CAO, usually the top earner made only $76, 307, as she joined the district late in 2012.
Over $10 million was paid to the district staff this year.
District spokesperson Christina Moore said all exempt salaries are adjusted for the cost of living increase, in accordance with the exept staff salary policy.
That policy calls for an increase of 1.6 this year.
When hired, exempt staff initially starts out below the targeted salary for the position.
Based on performance, and over a series of years, staff slowly works up to the target salary with annual performance-based increases.
Once they reach the target salary level, they will subsequently only receive annual cost of living increases (and not performance-based increases), Moore added.
As for elected councilors, they were paid $240,281 in 2012.
Besides staff and council, SOFI also reveals where the tax payers money went for purchase of district good and services.
Carney’s Waste System and Alpine Paving were the highest paid contractors for goods and services purchased by the district.
They were paid $1,190,977 and $1,272,204 respectively.
