After reading the article from New Zealand’s STUFF news site, we thought it would be interesting to find out what the taxpayers of Coldstream are paying for their governance and operational leadership.
Reviewing the 2020 annual report shows the seven elected officials were paid a combined total of $135,562 and the top seven employees, each earning over $100K earned a total of $826,245.28. Comparing year over year 2020 and 2021 earnings we see:
The 7 Elected Officials
| Name, Position | 2020 Remuneration | 2021 Remuneration |
| Garlick Jim, Mayor | $ 34,715.28 | $34,992.98 |
| Dirk Douglas, Councillor | $18,741.68 | $19,519.60 |
| Cochrane Patrick, Councillor | $17,948.60 | $18,888.70 |
| Enns Richard, Councillor | $16,368.44 | $15,832.56 |
| Taylor Glen, Councillor | $16,236.76 | $16,886.00 |
| Hoffman Stephanie, Councillor | $15,973.40 | $16,227.60 |
| Hoyte Ruth, Councillor | $15,578.36 | $19,652.28 |
| $ 135,562.52 | $141,998.72 |
Mayor Garlick and Councillor Hoyte (as the alternate director) had additional earnings as a representative to the Regional District of the North Okanangan (RDNO):
| Coldstream | RDNO | TOTAL | ||
| Mayor Garlick | 2020 | $34,715.28 | $20,544 | $55,259 |
| 2021 | $34,992.98 | $20,772 | $55,765 | |
| Ruth Hoyte | 2020 | $15,578.36 | $6,984 | $22,562 |
| 2021 | $19,652.28 | $6,850 | $26,412 |
The 7 Employees with the Highest Wages
| Position | 2020 Remuneration | 2021 Remuneration |
| Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) | $165,612.38 | $196,164.07 |
| Director of Financial Admin. | $117,837.17 | $110,408.72 |
| Director of Infrastructure Services | $115,134.53 | |
| Director of Development Services | $112,174.95 | $112,262.50 |
| Operations Superintendent – Parks & PW | $106,128.21 | $104,791.34 |
| Roads Foreman | $105,103.66 | $97,082.31 |
| Operations Superintendent – Utilities | $104,254.38 | $102,976.97 |
| Director of Corporate Administration | $100,337.20 | |
| $826,245.28 | $824,023.11 |
We note from the annual reports:
CAO Trevor Siebel received an 18.5% raise from $165,612.38 in 2020 to an annual salary of $196,164.07 for 2021. Inflation then was 3.4%, why did he receive such a large wage increase?
The 2021 report stated that it paid a severance;
“The District entered into one severance agreement with an employee excluded from coverage under the collective agreement. The agreement represented 12 equivalent months compensation.”
Noticing the absence of Director of Infrastructure Services for the entire year of 2021, it would appear that the severance referred to was worth $115, 000.
Total Remuneration of Staff and Elected Officials in 2020 was $ 3,712,437.24
And in 2021 was $ 3,790,977.10 (a 2.1% increase)
Conclusion
The top seven wage earners at the District, often called upper management, account for 22% of all remuneration paid at Coldstream. The elected officials account for only 3.7 %, and collectively we pay 25% for our decision makers.
Are we getting value for our money? A couple of situations that make you ask this question and noted in previous editorials:
- Selling Coldstream Station land well below market value
- Inadequate consultation with the affected community like the Lavington Park concerns
So, when you question some of the decisions made, who should we point fingers at? With supporting staff at over $800,000 per year, there should be very few poor decisions.
Who is responsible to see that good decisions are made? The answer is us!
RUN FOR OFFICE!
Electoral and Candidate info: https://www.coldstream.ca/content/2022-general-local-elections
