North Westside’s elected representative is defending his compensation.
Figures released by the Regional District of Central Okanagan show that director Wayne Carson had a salary of $22,609 in 2015 and expenses of $8,945.
“The expenses come from driving throughout the district and attending meetings in Kelowna,” said Carson.
Carson, whose area also includes parts of rural Peachland and West Kelowna, points out that being a director involves significant work.
“It takes up more time than I thought it would. There’s a lot of documentation to deal with before meetings,” he said.
Carson is only one of two electoral area directors on the board (the other is Patty Hanson from Central Okanagan East). The rest of the board consists of appointments from the municipalities of Lake Country, Peachland, Kelowna and West Kelowna.
The municipal directors receive less in compensation from RDCO than the electoral area directors, with Lake Country’s James Baker having a salary of $15,776 and no expenses.
Chairperson Gail Given, from Kelowna, had remuneration of $40,661 and expenses of $1,882.
In 2015, the remuneration and benefits of all regional district employees totalled $9.9 million. Among them were 35 staff who earned more than $75,000.
Leading the pack was Brian Reardon, chief administrative officer, at remuneration of $197,110 and expenses of $12,393. Former North Westside fire chief Brian Gardiner had a salary of $91,605 and expenses of $1,774.