Tale of Two Cities, Part 1, Senior staff renumeration comparison (Continued)
There was a very minor population difference in 2011, but Saskatoon has probably now surpassed the Greater Victoria core municipalities, based on the growth rates for each region since the last census.
In addition, Saskatoon directly provides many services to their residents, including landfill operations, bulk water supply, wastewater treatment (which we are still several years away from), transit, regional transportation, public library and city-wide cycling/walking networks. In Greater Victoria, most of these services are supplied by other public bodies (e.g. CRD, GVPL, CREST).
One would expect that Saskatoon would have a much larger number of senior executives to oversee all of these activities and operations, compared to the Greater Victoria core municipalities, but not so.
Below is a list of the 11 senior executives in Saskatoon (excluding police) who earned more than $150,000 in 2013.
There was a very minor population difference in 2011, but Saskatoon has probably now surpassed the Greater Victoria core municipalities, based on the growth rates for each region since the last census.
In addition, Saskatoon directly provides many services to their residents, including landfill operations, bulk water supply, wastewater treatment (which we are still several years away from), transit, regional transportation, public library and city-wide cycling/walking networks. In Greater Victoria, most of these services are supplied by other public bodies (e.g. CRD, GVPL, CREST).
One would expect that Saskatoon would have a much larger number of senior executives to oversee all of these activities and operations, compared to the Greater Victoria core municipalities, but not so.
Below is a list of the 11 senior executives in Saskatoon (excluding police) who earned more than $150,000 in 2013.
Now consider the following list of 22 senior municipal executives employed by Greater Victoria core municipalities during 2013:
The difference is stark. Although the populations are similar, Saskatoon executives oversee far more services than the combined Greater Victoria core municipalities of Esquimalt, Saanich, Oak Bay and Victoria. Yet Saskatoon spent approximately $2 million on senior executives, compared to the four core who collectively spent $3.9 million -- almost twice as much, for far less responsibility.
The core municipal senior staff data also contains understatements due to the $150,000 reporting threshold. For example, the salaries of two directors of engineering in Oak Bay and Esquimalt are not reported as they earned less than $150,000 in 2013, while these functions are included in the Saskatoon data.
Also, the CRD has responsibility for some senior executive salaries performing functions similar to Saskatoon and this contributes to a further understatement of the four core municipal costs.
- Colin Nielsen
The core municipal senior staff data also contains understatements due to the $150,000 reporting threshold. For example, the salaries of two directors of engineering in Oak Bay and Esquimalt are not reported as they earned less than $150,000 in 2013, while these functions are included in the Saskatoon data.
Also, the CRD has responsibility for some senior executive salaries performing functions similar to Saskatoon and this contributes to a further understatement of the four core municipal costs.
- Colin Nielsen