City payroll jumps by $3 million

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After dipping down slightly in 2010, the city’s payroll rose by nearly $3 million in 2011.

According to the city’s 2011 remuneration and expense report, released last week, the overall payroll for the city is up to $49.8 million, from $47 million.

There are now 35 city employees collecting more than $100,000 in gross pay — which includes taxable benefits like vehicle and parking allowances and MSP and life-insurance premiums. That’s up slightly from 2010, when 32 employees were above the $100,000-mark, but still down from 2009, when 49 people collected six figures.

The city’s highest-paid employee, former CAO Randy Diehl, saw his pay increase to $199,823 from $195,942.

Most other directors — the city’s highest-paid staffers — saw a bump of about four per cent from 2010.

Public works and sustainability director David Duckworth, the city’s second highest-paid employee, went to $154,970 from $148,548 in 2011.

Director of finance and IT Sally Edwards’ salary grew to $148,624 from $142,948.

CAO David Trawin — then still in his former role as director of development and engineering services — went to $148,624 from $143,092 in 2011.

Parks, culture and recreation director Byron McCorkell’s pay went up by two per cent, to $151,587 from $148,508.

Trawin said some of the payroll increases are partly the result of the contract the city signed with its unionized staff in the December 2010, which called for two per cent increases for each of its three years.

When the new contract was settled, the city also reviewed managers’ salaries “to bring them back into market,” Trawin said. “We found out that the directors were well below what other directors are in other municipalities so they’ve been phased in to catch up.”

Trawin said the city’s goal is to be in the middle of the pack when it comes to pay.

“I don’t think we should be the highest compared to other communities. I don’t think we should be the lowest,” he said. “We need the average in terms of attracting quality people.”