SAFETY FIRST | North Okanagan residents urged to be cautious when out boating this summer [A5]
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Wednesday, June 12, 2013
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Ranch takes funding hit
LUMBY SIZZLES
RICHARD ROLKE Morning Star Staff
ROGER KNOX/MORNING STAR
Lumby’s Frankie O’Neill (left) and Coldstream’s Autumn Owen have a blast on the Sizzler, part of the Shooting Star midway which was a popular attraction at Oval Park during the 58th annual Lumby Days Sunday.
Mayor defends staff salaries RICHARD ROLKE
Morning Star Staff
Vernon’s mayor denies wages are out of control at city hall. The city’s 2012 annual report shows that $21.4 million was spent on employee compensation and expenses, with 91 individuals earning more than $75,000. “With long-term union contracts and the cost of living, payouts increase over time,” said Mayor Rob Sawatzky. “Government has not grown as a percentage of tax dollars.” Sawatzky also says the municipality is responsive to residents’ needs. “A point of endless debate is how much government do you want and how much do you want it to do.” Payroll for city staff went from $18.8 million in 2010 to $20.9 million last year. Eighty-two employees earned more than
$75,000 a year in 2011, up from 66 in 2010. Of those employees who earned more than $75,000 in 2012, chief administrator Will Pearce was at $101,940 in wages and expenses. Rob Dickinson, manager of engineering, was at $128,108 for salary and expenses while fire chief Keith Green was at $127,578. Including Green, 26 individuals at the fire hall earned more than $75,000 in 2012. In terms of elected officials, the city’s 2012 annual report indicates $198,109 was spent on council remuneration and expenses. “For the hours council puts in, most are very poorly paid,” said Sawatzky of his colleagues attending meetings and spending hours reading documents and researching matters.
“I doubt they make $10 an hour.” Coun. Mary-Jo O’Keefe received a salary of $21,844 while it was $20,611 for Coun. Juliette Cunningham and $20,474 each for Councillors Catherine Lord, Patrick Nicol, Bob Spiers and Brian Quiring. Sawatzky would not discuss his own salary of $63,466 because he says any comments he made could come across as self-serving. In terms of expenses, there was $5,816 for Sawatzky, $1,715 for Lord, $1,396 for O’Keefe and $1,367 for Cunningham. Nicol, Quiring and Spiers did not submit expenses for 2012. “I just never have. It’s my contribution to the community,” said Nicol. “Each individual (council member) gets to choose what they do. It (not submitting) feels right to me.”
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City cuts aren’t the only financial squeeze facing a historic site. O’Keefe Ranch says other agencies are reconsidering funding after Vernon council decided to reduce its annual commitment starting in 2016. “If a partner in the community is pulling out, they are looking at their participation,” said Glen Taylor, O’Keefe Ranch general manager. A Heritage Legacy Fund grant for restoration of St. Anne’s Church was recently denied. “They said no because the city is backing its funding Glen Taylor down,” said Taylor. “It’s funding we were depending on.” Council voted recently to continue with a $150,000 annual grant for the city-owned property. But in 2016, that will drop to $100,000, followed by $50,000 in 2017 and $10,000 in 2018. Coun. Mary-Jo O’Keefe is concerned the city’s actions are having a snowball effect on funding. “Some of the broader impacts of our decision aren’t known,” she said. “Because of our decision that we will cease funding, those (outside) agencies are questioning their funding.” Council has instructed staff to determine the extent of the impact on the ranch’s budget if other organizations restrict grant levels. Opposition to a staff report came from Councillors Bob Spiers and Brian Quiring. “That information should come from O’Keefe Ranch. It’s not the city’s place to generate another report,” said Quiring, who questions suggestions that agencies are basing funding on what the city does. “I’d like to see evidence that this is the case. It (2016) is a long ways off.” A similar view is also coming from Spiers. “I don’t know how that affects a grant being done now,” he said of the city reducing its contribution in 2016. Taylor insists the ranch is working on plans to attract more visitors and enhance the bottom line. “We have three years to show we can increase activity and we will show the city the ranch is providing an important service,” he said of preserving the region’s heritage and bolstering the economy.
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