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How much do City of New Westminster employees make?

The City of New Westminster shelled out more than $50 million to its employees in 2016. The city’s statement of financial information for 2016 shows the city paid remuneration of $50,746,287 to its employees, excluding sworn police officers.
New Westminster city hall
The City of New Westminster paid more than $50 million in remuneration nd expenses to its employees in 2016.

The City of New Westminster shelled out more than $50 million to its employees in 2016.

The city’s statement of financial information for 2016 shows the city paid remuneration of $50,746,287 to its employees, excluding sworn police officers. On top of the remuneration, the city also paid $405,758 on business expenses for these employees, bringing the total to $51,152,045.

The 2015 tab was $51,148.727 for employees’ remuneration and business expenses, which increased by $3,318 in 2016.

Lisa Spitale, the city’s chief administrative officer, was once again the city’s top wage earner in 2016 – and the lone city employee to top the $200,000 threshold. She was paid $221,527 in 2016.

Each year, the city releases a report listing the names, remuneration and expenses for all employees earning $75,000 and up.

In 2016, 231 employees were paid $75,000 or more: 30 earned $75,000 to $79,999; 42 were paid $80,000 to $89,999; and 35 received $90,000 to $99,999. All totalled, 124 employees topped $100,000, including 111 who had remuneration of $100,000 to $149,999, 12 earning more than $150,000 and one topping $200,000.

Along with Spitale, other city employees earning more than $150,000 in 2016 were: Jim Lowrie, director of engineering - $183,923; Dean Gibson, director of parks and recreation - $181,174; Gary Holowatiuk, director of finance and information technology - $175,874; Rod Carle, director of the electrical utility - $178,785; Bev Grieve, director of development services – $175,727; Tim Armstrong, fire chief - $173,247; Joan Burgess, director of human resources - $168,696; Pierre Gaudreault, manager of the electrical utility - $157,641; Jim Wishlove, deputy fire chief - $157,387; Merlin Peterson, powerline technician with the electrical utility - $157,368; John Hatch, deputy fire chief – $155,345; and Celso Manubay, electrical utility - $152,408

The report lists all city employees, including firefighters, earning $75,000 or more, but does not include New Westminster police officers. That’s because the Police Act supersedes the Financial Information Act and they’re not required to be included in the statement of financial information.