The highest-paid municipal employee last year was city clerk/solicitor Myron Gulka-Tiechko, at $162,640.99, while contractor Hamm Construction Ltd. received the most project funding, at $16,084,846.65, according to the 2018 municipal public accounts.
The report was presented to city council during its July 22 regular meeting. Council voted 6-0 to receive and file the report. Coun. Chris Warren was absent.
The point of the public accounts report is to show how much remuneration each employee and council member was paid; how much remuneration each employee and any member of a committee or council-established body received; and how much money council provided to any group that receives most of its funding from the municipality.
The report also looked at the remuneration each employee and board member of a controlled corporation received; expenditures for travel and other expenses incurred by employees, council members and board members; contract expenditures; and grants and contributions of goods and services.
Coun. Brian Swanson urged all residents to read the public accounts report on the municipality’s website and “see the factual information presented,” pointing out the report shows to whom the City of Moose Jaw issued cheques worth more than $50,000 and shows all employee salaries over $50,000.
Although Swanson thought the report raised many questions, he zeroed in on expenditures issued to contractors, particularly to the Toronto law firm Hicks Morley Hamilton Stewart. In 2018 the City of Moose Jaw paid the law firm $105,815.01, which Swanson noted provided advice around negotiations and structural changes to the fire department.
This advice, however, generated applications to the Saskatchewan Labour Relations Board (SLRB).
It is correct that there was one outstanding application sent to the SLRB that was more than a year old, acknowledged city manager Jim Puffalt in response to a question from Swanson, while it is also correct that the municipality is waiting for a judgment on that application.
City administration is unable to say how many applications have been sent to the Saskatchewan Labour Relations Board over the years, added Gulka-Tiechko, since there are several that go back many years. City administration would have to follow up on that topic.
“I am more concerned about the ones for when we obtained that legal council. I think it is two previous ones,” said Swanson, adding, “Can we see if the city was found in violation? Please.”
Council pay
The remuneration and expenses paid to council members last year included:
- Coun. Heather Eby: $4,401.36/$420
- Coun. Crystal Froese: $23,194.88/$1,631.65
- Coun. Dawn Luhning: $23,151.28/$25
- Coun. Scott McMann: $23,772.50/$1,794
- Coun. Don Mitchell: $11,752.80/$60
- Coun. Brian Swanson: $23,272.93/$0
- Coun. Chris Warren: $24,619.74/$2,455.05
- Mayor Fraser Tolmie: $70,199.93/$5,247.13
Total remuneration paid out was $204,365.47 and total expenses paid back were $11,632.83.
Highest-paid employees
Many of Moose Jaw’s police officers and firefighters were some of the highest-paid municipal employees last year, along with several department heads at city hall.
According to the report, the highest paid municipal employees for 2018 were:
- Myron Gulka-Tiechko, city clerk/solicitor ($162,640.99)
- Police Chief Rick Bourassa ($159,954.47)
- Joshua Mickleborough, director of engineering services ($147,145.76)
- Brian Acker, director of financial services ($146,886.79)
- Deputy Police Chief Rick Johns ($146,237.84)
- Albert Bromley, director of Human Resource Services ($142,265.70)
- Fire Chief Rodney Montgomery ($137,902.66)
- Police Insp. Richard McKenna ($136,964.37)
- Police Insp. Brent Mackey ($136,956.53)
- Police Insp. Devon Oleniuk ($135,525.45)
- Michelle Sanson, director of planning and business development ($134,778.88)
Contractor expenses
Some of the highest contractual expenditures went to:
- Hamm Construction ($16,084,846.65)
- KMS Construction Ltd. ($7,567,536.67)
- SaskPower ($3,625,380.01)
- Cypress Paving Ltd. ($3,595,935.49)
- Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Corporation ($2,987,522.03)
- Grande West Transportation International ($1,831,730.70)
- PCL Construction Management Inc. ($1,781,686.94)
- Henderson Insurance ($1,492,288.42)
- Palliser Regional Library ($1,110,430.25)
- Associated Engineering Ltd. ($1,040,730.56)
- SGI Auto Fund ($1,002,132.76)
- Moose Jaw Warriors ($999,136.04)
The municipality spent $63,571,036.04 in total contractual expenses last year.
The next regular council meeting is Aug. 12.
