Kamloops taxpayers doled out about $1.8M more to pay city staff in 2023: report

KAMLOOPS — City of Kamloops taxpayers shelled out about $1.8 million more to pay city staff in 2023 than they did the previous year, according to a new report coming to council this week.

The 2023 Statement of Financial Information shows an increase of 2.5 per cent in total remuneration for the city’s staff and management. That amounts to about $33.78 in property taxes for the average household.

That increase includes a 3.9 per cent bump for city managers and a 5.5 per cent bump for staff represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) compared to 2022.

Kamloops Fire Rescue personnel actually saw a 7.4 per cent decrease in 2023. The report notes the 2022 remuneration was driven up by retroactive payouts negotiated as part of the most recent collective bargaining agreement.

There were 92 City of Kamloops managers and 17 CUPE employees who made more than $100,000 in 2023, increases of six and five, respectively.

The highest-paid city employees in 2023 were CAO David Trawin at $309,238 and Deputy CAO Byron McCorkell at $242,652.

Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson made $128,693 in salary and benefits in 2023. The mayor’s salary is calculated as a percentage based on similar B.C. cities. Councillors’ salaries are based on about 40 per cent of what the mayor makes.

The full report can be found here.