The City of Cranbrook has released annual financial disclosures on long-term debt, staff and council remuneration, as well as goods and services utilized over the 2022.
The 2022 unaudited Statement of Financial Information (SOFI) contains the remuneration of mayor and council, staff whose positions earn more than $75,000 and a list of suppliers of goods or services where the city paid over $25,000, as well as other financial documentation.
Former Cranbrook mayor Lee Pratt earned $56,015, with expenses of $6,910. Wayne Price, who was elected mayor following the local government elections in the fall, was paid $31,334 for the year (which also includes his salary as city councillor), along with expenses of $4,856.
Most city councillors earned approximately $25,000 in remuneration, while expenses ranged from $500 to $10,000.
All told, total mayor and council remuneration was $219,415, with $43,906 in expenses.
For administration and staff salaries, there were 83 positions identified as earning over the $75,000 threshold, which included 44 earning over $100,000.
Chief Administration Officer Mark Fercho was the top earner at $223,397 with expenses of $7,465.
All told, the employee gross earnings for over and under the $75,000 threshold totalled $15 million, with a further $222,516 incurred in expenses. An additional employer share of employee benefits came out at $4.1 million.
One severance agreement was made with a non-unionized employee representing 12 months of compensation.
The city also paid out $50 million in aggregate for suppliers and services over $25,000, with much of the larger payments going towards contractors for infrastructure projects, such as Bad Ventures Ltd ($1.6 million), Copcan Civil LP ($3.2 million) and Gally Equipment Services ($1.6 million).
The city also paid out a further $3 million for expenses under the $25,000 threshold.
The Regional District of East Kootenay released similar disclosure at their recent board meeting last week.
With some turnover from the 2022 local government elections, there were 44 elected board directors between the electoral areas, elected municipal representatives, the regional hospital board and alternates.
All told, there was $467,440 in remuneration for RDEK board directors, with a further 466,399 in expenses.
RDEK board char Rob Gay had the highest compensation at $61,550, with $19,211 in expenses.
Electoral Area Directors, representing rural regions of the East Kootenay, typically earned more than the municipal directors.
The RDEK reported 32 employees earned above the $75,000 threshold, for $3.3 million in remuneration, while a further $3.2 million was paid out to employees earning under the $75,000 threshold.
Chief Administration Officer Shawn Tomlin was the top earner, at $220,312.
Including benefits, the RDEK’s gross payroll was $7.7 million.
Total public accounts over $25,000 reached $24 million, while a further $9 million was spent for payments under the $25,000 threshold.