Similkameen director scores hat trick with highest remuneration and expenses

PENTICTON – A Similkameen rural director made it three in a row this year as the politician with the highest remuneration and expenses amongst regional district board members not holding the chair or vice-chair position.

The 2017 Statement of Financial Interest statistics, released this week by the regional district, show Keremeos rural and Hedley director Elef Christensen took home $26,939 in director’s stipends and claimed an additional $12,418 in expenses for a total of $39,357 in 2017, up from $37,648 claimed in remuneration and expenses in 2016.

Christensen’s expenses were higher by far than other directors, the next closest being board chair Karla Kozakevich, who claimed $8,360.

In 2015, Christensen took home a total of $39,231 in remuneration and expenses, topping the list that year as well.

Christensen's expenses last year show accommodation costs totalling $3,700.94 and travel costs for three conferences, including the Southern Interior Local Government Association conference in Sun Peaks, the Union of B.C. Municipalities conference held in Vancouver and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities conference in Ottawa. 

Christensen did not respond to email and phone messages prior to deadline.

Regional district board chair Kozakevich topped the list with $62,607 in remuneration and $8,360 in expenses for a total of $70,967.

West Bench director Michael Brydon led the rest of the directors in remuneration at $31,499.

A total of 27 regional district staff were paid $75,000 or more in 2017, with four employees in the six-figure bracket and one more within six dollars of $100,000.

Chief administrative officer Bill Newell topped the list at $157,625, followed by community services manager Mark Woods ($140,593), human resources manager Marnie Manders  ($103,140), information services manager Tim Bouwmeester ($100,940) and legislative services manager Christy Malden, who came in just under the mark at $99,994.

Last year $184,297 was paid out in overtime wages for emergency operations to regional district employees by the province.

Board remuneration and expenses added up to $473,992 in 2017, while regional district employees accounted for a total of $6,613,359 in pay and expenses. That’s up $743,864 from $5,869,495 reported in 2016.

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