Aw heck, I’m going to write about money — not mine, of course, because there’s nothing really to write about there.
Besides, I’m sure you’re more interested in what Mayor Gregor Robertson and all but one of his councillors — poor George Affleck — earned in their roles last year as directors with Metro Vancouver.
I just happened to have Metro Vancouver’s statement of financial information for 2013 on my computer screen.
So here we go, in alphabetical order:
• NPA Coun. Elizabeth Ball, who is considered an alternate director, collected $1,770 and spent $20 on expenses.
• Green Party Coun. Adriane Carr, also an alternate, earned $708 and didn’t file for any expenses.
• Vision Vancouver Coun. Heather Deal pulled in $23,010 and spent $551. Last time I checked, Deal was the chairperson of Metro’s environment and parks committee.
• Vision Coun. Kerry Jang, who is on Metro’s finance and housing committees, earned $9,204 and spent $110.
• Vision Coun. Raymond Louie is vice-chairperson of the Metro Vancouver regional board and chairperson of Metro’s intergovernmental committee. So that kind of explains the $35,433 he pulled in and the $9,165 he spent.
• Vision Coun. Geoff Meggs, who is a member of Metro’s housing and transportation committees, earned $16,284 and spent $6,725.
• Robertson collected $5,310 and didn’t expense anything.
• Vision Coun. Andrea Reimer pulled in $15,576. She spends a lot of time with Metro Vancouver as a member of the regional planning and agriculture committee, the aboriginal relations committee and the zero waste committee. Plus, she is a member of Metro’s so-called engagement task force.
• Vision Coun. Tim Stevenson is the vice-chairperson of the Electoral Area A standing committee. He made $9,204 and spent $70.
• Vision Coun. Tony Tang, an alternate, collected $1,416 and spent $10.
What about Affleck, you say?
Well, he is an alternate director and I guess he never got the call to sub in.
The earnings of the mayor and councillors are, of course, on top of what they earn from the City of Vancouver.
Robertson earned $148,849 last year, while the majority of councillors made $68,320. Reimer and Tang earned a few bucks more — $71,061 each — for their deputy mayor duties.
City manager Penny Ballem earned $339,219 and Police Chief Jim Chu made $328,691. Last year’s top earner, however, was Fire Chief John McKearney, who topped all earnings with $347,762.
That sum was accompanied by an asterisk in city documents which explained exempt staff was eligible for an “optional lump sum gratuity and vacation payouts.”
So you know what that means, don’t you?
Yes, that’s right — freshen up that resume and get your application into the Vancouver fire department. Or become a well-paid cop.
A city manager job sounds interesting, too.
Or maybe consider the lucrative field of journalism.
I said maybe.
twitter.com/Howellings
