A one-time retroactive payout to firefighters in 2015 means that the total cost of salaries and benefits for Coquitlam city staffers stayed relatively stable in 2016, according to the recently released statement of financial information.
The SOFI report shows that overall salary costs actually fell $240,000 to $78.6 million last year, with close to 400 employees earning $75,000 or more and 149 of those making more than $100,000.
But 2015 was an anomaly that skews the year-over-year comparison, according to Michelle Hunt, the city’s general manager of finance and technology.
“Last year, there was a retroactive payout to the firefighters,” she said. “There were a lot more people in the $75,000 or above because they received those.”
She added that the actual increase is more likely closer to $1 million after the retroactive payouts are taken into account.
According to the financial statements, in addition to the 149 city staffers who grossed more than $100,000 in 2016, eight managers earned more than $200,000.
More than $500,000 was accrued in employee expenses while $16.3 million, on top of the $78.6 million in salaries, was spent on non-taxable benefits, like gas allowances and benefits.
Meanwhile, Coquitlam city councillors cost taxpayers $703,750 in stipends and expenses, up only slightly from last year’s total of $692,264.
Mayor Richard Stewart earns the most at the council table, with a remuneration of $132,258, while each councillor receives $57,562.
Stewart also had the highest expenses at $19,869, followed by councillors Dennis Marsden ($14,333), Bonita Zarrillo ($14,100), Teri Towner ($12,035), Craig Hodge ($11,459), Terry O’Neill ($10,309), Mae Reid ($9,999), Chris Wilson ($9,786) and Brent Asmundson ($9,106).
@gmckennaTC
