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City's handshakes remain golden, indeed

Departing officials again top pay-earners

By: Bartley Kives

2/07/2009 1:00 AM | Comments: 19

Menno Zacharias

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Menno Zacharias (WAYNE GLOWACKI / FREE PRESS ARCHIVES)

WINNIPEG — Former deputy police chief Menno Zacharias was one of Winnipeg's highest-paid employees last year even though he was only on the job for six weeks.

Zacharias earned $286,753 from the city in a retirement, severance and salary package when he left the Winnipeg Police Service in mid-February 2008, according to a newly released list of city salary and benefit payments.

Zacharias, who spent 34 years as a member of the Winnipeg Police Service, lost out to Keith McCaskill in the competition to succeed Jack Ewatski as Winnipeg's police chief when the high-profile job came open in 2007.

The package paid out to Zacharias made him the second-highest-paid employee among the 11,267 full-time, part-time, casual, seasonal and temporary workers who collected a City of Winnipeg paycheque in 2008.

Under provincial law, the city is required to disclose all wage and benefit payments paid out to any employee who earns $50,000 or more in a given year. In 2008, 4,453 workers, including Mayor Sam Katz and all 15 city councillors, made the list.

Retiring employees traditionally top the annual list, which saw the city pay more than $700,0000 in combined benefits and salaries to Ewatski and former chief administrative officer Annitta Stenning in 2007.

This year, the highest payout went to Mark Purdy, a Winnipeg Transit operations superintendent, who earned a $292,475 severance package. Former internal services director Luella Lee left the city with $198,590 in compensation, former city solicitor Ursula Goeres received a $174,158 goodbye cheque and Stenning received another $50,000 in 2008, on top of the $343,500 she earned when she left the city in September 2007.

The highest city salaries to non-retiring staff are earned by senior administrators, not politicians. Department heads earned anywhere from $119,000 to $155,000 in 2008, while Mayor Sam Katz took home $114,053 and the salary range for city councillors was $60,153 to $75,866. Politicians, however, receive a third of their salaries tax-free.

The top non-retiring wage-earner in Winnipeg last year was chief administrative officer Glen Laubenstein, who earned $158,796 for nine months' work after he started with the city in April 2008. His annual salary is approximately $212,000.

Deputy CAO Phil Sheegl, who also started in April, took home $111,908, though his annual salary is approximately $180,000. Fellow deputy CAOs Mike Ruta and Alex Robinson earned $153,890 and $150,914, respectively.

The complete list of payments is online at www.winnipeg.ca/2008compensation

bartley.kives@freepress.mb.ca

 

Municipal money-makers

IN 2008, the City of Winnipeg employed anywhere from 8,440 to 9,835 full-time, part-time, casual, temporary and seasonal employees. The city issued a total of 11,267 T-4 slips at the end of the year. Of those employees, 4,435 earned $50,000 or more -- the threshold for public disclosure under provincial law. Here are salaries for selected city employees:

Elected officials*

Mayor Sam Katz: $114,053

City councillors: $60,153 to $75,866, depending on duties

* Politicians' salaries include a 33 per cent tax-free component

 

Top administrators

Glen Laubenstein, chief administrative officer: $158,796*

Phil Sheegl, deputy CAO: $111,908**

Mike Ruta, chief financial officer/deputy CAO: $153,890

Alex Robinson, deputy CAO: $150,914

* Hired in April 2008. Annual salary approximately $212,000

** Hired in April 2008. Annual salary approximately: $180,000

 

Department heads

Barry MacBride, water and waste director: $155,231

Bill Larkin, public works director: $151,956*

Keith McCaskill, police chief: $148,325

Richard Kachur, city clerk: $143,929

Jim Brennan, fire paramedic chief: $137,347

Clive Wightman, community services director: $136,956

Nelson Karpa, city assessor: $136,493

Shannon Hunt, city auditor: $134,128*

Dave Wardrop, Winnipeg Transit director: $128,931

Joanne Ferrier, city treasurer: $127,489

Sherwood Armbruster, chief of mayoral staff: $125,197

Deepak Joshi, planning, property, development manager: $122,028

Linda Black, corporate support services director: $118,948

* Since retired

 

Public faces

Pam Sveinson, communications manager: $100,093

Gordon Glover, zoo director: $100,000

Kenny Boyce, film and special events manager: $93,711

Randy Hull, emergency preparedness co-ordinator: $93,611

Taz Stuart, city entomologist: $90,889

Const. Jacqui Chaput, police spokeswoman: $83,095

Ken Allen, city spokesman: $77,807

Brad Salyn, mayor's communications director: $76,843

Const. Jason Michalyshen, police spokesman: $75,708

 

Severance packages

Mark Purdy, former operations superintendent for Winnipeg Transit: $292,474

Menno Zacharias, former deputy police chief: $286,753

Luella Lee, former internal services director: $198,590

Ursula Goeres, former city solicitor: $174,158

Annitta Stenning, former chief administrative officer: $50,000*

* Stenning's 2008 payout is on top of the $343,500 severance/salary package she received in 2007, when she left the city

 

-- Source: 2008 City of Winnipeg Compensation Disclosure

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition July 2, 2009 A4

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19 Commentscomment icon

They'd have to pay me a lot more than $114,000 to be mayor of this city. These people have jobs that are a bit more complex and "in the public eye" than stocking shelves or pumping gas and they should be paid accordingly. Chief Zacharias, for example, had 34 years service and we should be thanking him for that, not criticizing him for receiving well-deserved compensation.

but they don't publish UNTAXABLE amounts, do they? Police Officers, Fire fighters, etc. earn every penny they are paid. I have no issue with that. What I have issue with is appointing your buddy to a higher than average paying job that they are not qualified to do, or having your son/daughter/wife hired on to a job they don't qualify for.

@Anonymous: The compensation includes salaries and taxable benefits such as cash in lieu of sick days and holidays, as well as retirement allowances, back pay and severance pay.

The city does not break down the compensation into these categories.

Bartley Kives

It's almost criminal what the City paid Menno Zacharias to leave his post as Deputy Chief. He was nothing more than a bureaucrat [edited]. He should be ashamed of himself for accepting that type of payout.

I'm wondering why my comment was edited? I didn't think it was secret that Phil was a real estate agent or a personal friend of our mayors?

Maybe some people out there should take this article as an incentive to get some education and get a career for a change. It is pretty easy to comment on how much police and firefighters earn in a year. But keep in mind that when you're running away from the fire in your house, they are the ones running in. How typical of a lot of Winnipeg citizens to be Monday morning quarterbacks and begrudge someone a decent living from the comfort of their couch.

It would be interesting to know of other companies, public or private who also give out severance packages just like this when an individual retires. As I look at those numbers, even though they seem impressive, I have to think of how much income tax they are sending to Ottawa as well. Or are they?

I wonder if the city will ever change this policy as things get tighter and tighter with their budgets if they want to keep our taxes low.

avatar

Is it no wonder why we the public have no faith in our politicians and people in high places. They keep telling the tax payers to pay more while giving out money like water from the tap. While the average winnipeger has to work there butt off just to pay there bill these guys get these big payouts. Well sam katz can cry all he wants about there been no money at city hall okay sam just look at these ridiculous payouts where the hell are you talking about that? dont come to us taxpayers and claim city hall needs monay just look at yourself and city hall first.

To: Common Sense and Reality who writes" Sometimes you have to spend big bucks now to gain a lot more in the end."
I've been paying extremely high taxes in this city for over 25 years now and I'm still waiting for this big payoff in the end.
Salaries should be capped at $100,000/year.Politicians should not get any tax-free component.
As far as severance packages go, they should be directly proportional to what the employee pays into it.

Hopefully these people who serve us give back to thier community centres, drop-ins, shelters, and other various charity organizations. We are paying their exhorbitant salaries with our tax dollars, I want some ROI.

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