What does the mayor make? Vancouver documents reveal salaries

Vancouver City Hall is seen in Vancouver, on Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021. (Darryl Dyck / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

The annual release of documents on the city's finances revealed what some of Vancouver's top officials earned in 2021.

The city released its statement of financial information (SOFI) last week – a requirement under the Financial Information Act – which included operations expenses, an overall financial outlook and more.

In a news release, the city said these documents show its financial position "remains healthy," and hint at economic recovery from COVID-19.

"The city's financial position and outlook improved throughout 2021 as provincial restrictions eased and facilities and programs reopened," the release said.

"Program fees, licence and development fees, and developer contributions are key sources of revenue for the City, in addition to property taxes, and revenue from these streams increased last year. Expenses also increased in 2021 due to increased service and staffing levels as facilities reopened, and the lifting of mitigation measures that were implemented in 2020 in response to the pandemic."

All of the city's financial reports, including those from independent auditors, are available online. 

Also included in the SOFI report are details on what city officials made last year. The report does not give the salaries of all employees, but does include the salaries of some key officials including the mayor, city councillors and the chief librarian.

Here's a quick look at what they earned last year, based on the 2021 SOFI:

• City manager Paul Mochrie - $332,616;
• Chief financial officer Patrice Impey - $303,535;
• Director and city solicitor Francie Connell - $302,735;
• General manager of arts, culture and community services Sandra Singh - $296,815;
• Deputy city manager Karen Levitt - $293,626;
• General manager of engineering services Lon LaClaire - $284,145;
• General manager of the Board of Parks and Recreation Donnie Rosa - $274,629
• General manager of planning, urban design and sustainability Theresa O'Donnell - $255,074
• Chief human resources officer Andrew Naklicki - $242,836;
• Chief librarian and Vancouver Public Library CEO Christina de Castell - $240,895;
• Fire Chief Karen Fry - $238,494;
• General manager of development, buildings and licensing Andrea Law - $208,299;
• Mayor Kennedy Stewart - $178,473;
• Chief communications officer Maria Pontikis - $148,670;
• City clerk Katrina Leckovic - $137,477;
• City Coun. Sarah Kirby-Yung - $103,216;
• City Coun. Adriane Carr - $102,998;
• City councillors Melissa De Genova and Pete Fry - $99,720 each;
• City Coun. Rebecca Bligh - $99,484;
• City councillors Christine Boyle, Colleen Hardwick and Michael Wiebe- $96,442;
• City Coun. Lisa Dominato - $93,164; and
• City Coun. Jean Swanson - $89,886.

A lengthy list of those earning more than $75,000 is included in the report and spans 31 pages. According to census data, the average income for an individual aged 16 and up in 2020 in Vancouver was $52,200, while the median was $39,500.