It pays more to manage the city of Kelowna than it does to run the entire province, according to newly released financial records.
The Statement of Financial Information (SOFI) for 2023 shows Kelowna’s city manager, Doug Gilchrist, made more than $338,000 last year.
To put this into perspective, Prime Minster Justin Trudeau made $389,000 last year, while B.C. Premier David Eby made around $227,000.
“No, there is no justification for what is going on here. We’re talking about an extra … more than $100,000,” said Canadian Taxpayers Federation federal director Franco Terrazzano.
“In what world are taxpayers getting more than $100,000 in extra value from this city manager? I think if you were to ask most taxpayers, are they getting an extra $100,000 in value from their city manager, I think most taxpayers would say no.”
Gilchrist’s starting salary in 2019 was around $219,000, and has had salary increases equalling 55 per cent over the past five years.
Terrazzano says the salary increase comes at a time when most taxpayers are facing financial hardships.
“Adding insult to injury here is the large salary increase over this specific period of time when so many people were struggling through the pandemic, while so many people lost their job, maybe lost their business, and then through this inflation crisis,” said Terrazzano.
“When many normal people who are living in Kelowna are having a tough time affording hamburger meat and a jug of milk to see that this city manager who is already making a ton of money has now taken more than $100,000 in additional salary in what is a handful of years.”
By law, every local government in the province has to release a list of all employees who made more than $75,000 the year before.
City employees in the same position or similar across the Okanagan made thousands less than Kelowna’s.
Okanagan City Managers and Chief Administrative Officers
- Kelowna City Manager: Doug Gilchrist
- Remuneration: $338,516
- West Kelowna Former Chief Administrative Officer: Paul Gipps
- Total Taxable Remuneration: $ 288,658
- Vernon Chief Administrative Officer: Patti Bridal
- Remuneration: $219,457
- Penticton City Manager: Anthony Haddad
- Remuneration: $ 237,020.82
Global News did ask the Mayor of Kelowna at an event on Tuesday for comment, but he declined and did not make himself available later in the day for an interview.