Winnipeg police chief tops city compensation list for 2020, annual report says

Winnipeg’s Chief of Police, Danny Smyth, was the highest-paid city employee in 2020, according to the City’s annual compensation disclosure report.

The document puts Smyth’s compensation at $291,834, nearly $20,000 more than the year previous.

He’s followed by Interim Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Michael Ruta, at $273,290.

Ruta’s compensation also climbed by $29,000.

The yearly report lists all employees and members who received compensation of $75,000 or more.

It notes the figure could represent any combination of salary and taxable benefits, overtime, retroactive pay adjustments, retirement allowance, sick pay cash out, vacation pay, back pay, and severance pay.

This year’s report featured 4,361 employees, including the mayor, deputy mayor, and 15 council members.

Mayor Brian Bowman is the 16th highest paid figure on the list, receiving $204,449 in 2020.

Between him and Ruta are three members of the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS): two district chiefs and a platoon chief.

Including Chief Smyth, four members of the Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) came in the top ten. The other three are deputy chiefs of police.

Two police sergeants also make more than $200,000.

Underneath Ruta are two other member’s of the CAO office: Manager of Indigenous Relations ($247,398), and Deputy CAO ($239,941).

Fire Chief John Lane was sitting tenth atop the list, being compensated $226,825 in 2020.

He also made three trips to California and one to Vancouver, B.C., in 2020, before COVID-19 suspended city-related travel, which cost the city $5,313.58.

The highest compensated city councillor was Sherri Rollins, of the Fort-Rouge East Fort Garry ward, who serves as Chair of Protection, Community Services and Parks, among other duties.

She was paid $125,346 last year.