Fire Chief Tim Armstrong has vaulted to the top of the city’s best-paid list – but he may not stay there for long.
While the top spot is normally held by the city’s chief administrative officer, Armstrong had earnings of $236,562 and expenses of $8,685 in 2014, for a total of $245,247. A year earlier, Armstrong earned $173,961.
Lisa Spitale, who became the first woman to be the top income earner at city hall in 2014, received $206,984 in pay and $4,762 in expenses, for a total of $211,746 in 2014.
Gary Holowatiuk, the city’s director of finance and information technology, said Armstrong’s $62,601 increase from 2013 to 2014 was because he had “certain banks paid out” in 2014.
“Exempt staff all received the same percentage increase,” he said in an email to the Record. “During a given year, staff may request certain banks paid out and this can cause a noticeable increase in their annual remuneration.”
Overtime and vacation are examples of some of the banks staff can receive that impact their annual remuneration.
The City of New Westminster has released its annual statement of financial information, which includes a report on employees earning remuneration and expenses of $75,000 and up. Last year, 25 employees earned $75,000 to $79,999; 27 were paid $80,000 to $89,000; 17 took home $90,000 to $99,999; 133 received $100,000 to $149,999; nine netted $150,000 to $199,999; and two topped $200,000.
While Spitale and Armstrong surpassed the $200,000 mark, 142 employees were in the $100,000 club, including nine making $150,000 or more:
* Gary Holowatiuk, director of finance and information technology – $177,930;
* Dean Gibson, director of parks, culture and recreation – $177,828;
* Rod Carle, general manager of the electric utility – $177,341;
* Jim Lowrie, director of engineering – $173,382;
* David Price, fire captain with New Westminster Fire and Rescue Services – $162,567;
* Joan Burgess, director of human resources – $162,141 (an increase from the $141,580 in 2013);
* Beverly Grieve, director of development services –$161,393;
* Merlin Peterson, sub-foreman powerline technician with the electrical utility – $151,308; and
* Jim Wishlove, assistant deputy fire chief – $150,956.
Last December, firefighters ratified a new seven-year collective agreement with the City of New Westminster that included a 2.5 per cent annual wage increase for each year of the contract. The deal was retroactive to January 2012, which is reflected on this year’s list of employees earning $75,000 and up.
“The firefighter retro pay has caused about five individuals to exceed the $75K threshold – they will likely drop back below next year,” Holowatiuk wrote in an email to the Record. “But more noticeable has been the jump in firefighters exceeding the $100K threshold – about 48 more than in 2013. Again, most will likely drop below the $100K threshold for 2015.”
The document released by city hall June 15 shows that the City of New Westminster paid $23,354,522 to 213 employees earning $75,000 and up in 2014. In addition, the city paid an additional $25,526,412 to other employees, excluding sworn police officers, for a total of $48,880,935.
Years ago, the city’s statement of financial information contained the wages of New West police officers earning $75,000 or more. That information is no longer included in the report because the Police Act supersedes the Financial Information Act, so the police department employees are no longer included in the city’s report.
