The City of Trail paid out over $6.9 million in salaries and expenses last year, up about $333,000, or five per cent, from the previous year.
However, that was lower than the increase from 2020 to 2021 of 7.6 per cent and lower than the inflation rate of over the same period of 6.8 per cent.
Thirteen employees made at least $100,000 in 2022, up from 10 the previous year, while 38 made $75,000, up from 30.
In presenting Trail’s statement of financial information to council this week, city manager Colin McClure noted the legislated threshold for reporting salaries has not been increased in many years, so the number of people appearing on the list gets longer.
Reporting out salaries of the highest-earners “can be uncomfortable,” he said, “but it is one of the responsibilities of the municipality.”
The top earners among staff were as follows:
| Position | Salary | Expenses | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michelle McIsaac | Corporate officer | $148,079 | $267 |
| Colin McClure | Chief administrator/CFO | $136,823 | $3,600 |
| Chris McIsaac | Public works director | $126,306 | $4,977 |
| Trisha Davison | Parks and recreation director | $122,123 | $7,774 |
| Craig Speers | Utilities superintendent | $117,271 | $3,530 |
Four of out five of the same people appeared at the top the previous year’s list. The exception was McClure, who started working for the city mid-year. Davison recently left the city to join the Regional District of Central Kootenay.
The exact overall payroll was $6,882,770 plus $80,934 in expenses for a total of $6,963,704 compared to last year’s $6,573,862 plus $56,900 in expenses for a total of $6,630,762. The precise increase from 2021 to 2022 was $332,942.
Among the elected officials, new and returning:
| Name | Position | Salary | Expenses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bev Benson | Councillor | $2,933 | – |
| Paul Butler | Councillor | $19,437 | $3,972 |
| Robert Cacchioni | Councillor | $16,359 | $32 |
| Nick Cashol | Councillor | $2,933 | – |
| Carol Dobie | Councillor | $16,359 | – |
| Eleanor Gattafoni Robinson | Councillor | $15,592 | $16 |
| Thea Hanson | Councillor | $2,933 | – |
| Colleen Jones | Councillor/Mayor | $22,746 | $4,931 |
| Terry Martin | Councillor | $2,933 | – |
| Lisa Pasin | Mayor | $33,950 | $4,051 |
| Sandy Santori | Councillor | $16,359 | – |
| Doug Wilson | Councillor | $2,933 | – |
| Total | $155,467 | $13,001 |
Only Butler served a full year as councillor. Benson, Cashol, Hanson, Martin, and Wilson were all newly elected to council last fall, while Cacchioni, Dobie, Gattafoni Robinson, Pasin, and Santori either did not run again or were not re-elected. Jones was previously a councillor before being elected mayor.
Compared to the previous year, council salaries were very similar, but expenses were up due to the resumption of travel to conferences. In 2021, council billed for less than $1,000 combined. The overall total of $168,468 represented an increase of $10,427 over the previous year’s $158,047, or 6.6 per cent.
