Crime does pay — for the police chief

Danny Smyth went out with a financial bang.

In 2024, his last year as Winnipeg police chief, he received the highest annual compensation of any civic employee — which was also the highest salary in the last six years.

Smyth, who retired in September after 38 years with the police service, took in $498,841, making him the top earner of the City of Winnipeg’s 4,253 employees.

In five of the last six compensation reports, the police chief was the top compensation earner: $305,874 in 2023, $294,113 in 2022, $291,834 in 2020, and $272,876 in 2019.

The only year the police chief wasn’t the top earner was in 2021, when Dave Wardrop, the city’s chief transportation and utilities officer, earned the most: $380,712. He left to become East St. Paul’s director of infrastructure. Wardrop later became West St. Paul’s chief administrative officer and, earlier this year, he was hired as Brandon’s CAO.

In 2024, Smyth was followed by an unnamed police superintendent — there are five superintendents, a position one rank below deputy chief — who earned $419,362.

The city’s former chief administrative officer, Michael Jack, who resigned in June 2024 after a 25-year career with the city and is now a deputy minister with the provincial government, came third with $410,769.

In fourth place is another police chief with $312,419. While police officers are not named, and no one with the city would confirm it, it is believed this is deputy police chief Art Stannard, who temporarily took over the reins as acting chief while the city looked for a new police chief.

Gene Bowers became the new chief in March. In his prior position, as deputy chief, he earned either $256,522 or $258,043.

The top 10 compensation earners were paid a total of $3.25 million.

Mayor Scott Gillingham, who earned $223,338 last year, was No. 21 on the list.

By comparison, Premier Wab Kinew earns $200,834, cabinet ministers receive $169,091, and opposition leader Obby Khan gets $169,091.

The highest paid city councillor was Sherri Rollins who, at the time, was a member of the civic executive policy committee. She was paid $139,912.

Coun. Jeff Browaty, civic finance committee chairman, came next with $136,925, while Speaker Devi Sharma received $136,914. Deputy Mayor Janice Lukes got $136,554, acting deputy mayor Markus Chambers $128,870, and deputy Speaker Ross Eadie $125,524.

Noting the former police chief’s high compensation amount, Browaty said the report doesn’t split out what is earned in salary alone.

“Sometimes, when you have people retiring, you get lump sums and cash-outs,” he said.

“Some used to be able to cash out sick time or accumulated vacation time, so it depends on when they leave and what was in effect when they began.”

Noting that numerous Winnipeg Transit drivers earned $85,000 or more, Browaty said that wouldn’t just be their base salaries.

“In 2024, we were still way below our full complement of bus drivers,” he said. “Overtime was probably being used higher than what we see it now.”

Lukes said she was most surprised by the police superintendent in second place.

“That’s insane,” she said about the $419,362 reported.

“That’s incredible, wow! That’s just mind-blowing. Yes, it’s a hard job, but holy moly.”

Lukes said it’s good that the public can see how much is earned by the top compensated civic employees.

“But I want to remind people there is a lot of overtime in the paramedic and police departments. They keep our city safe. I think the city is a fantastic place to work and, as you see, we pay well.”

As for other figures found in the report:

the highest-compensated police constable received $214,961,

the highest-paid primary care paramedic with the Winnipeg Fire and Paramedic Service earned $161,943,

and the top-paid Winnipeg Transit driver received $158,112.

The annual compensation disclosure report, at wfp.to/2024citypay, is required under the Provincial Public Sector Compensation Disclosure Act.

The act stipulates that all Manitoba municipalities must publish the compensation given to employees who receive $85,000 or more annually.

The law says compensation includes salary and taxable benefits, overtime, retroactive pay, retirement allowance, severance pay and sick pay cash-out.

Last year, there were 4,253 employees on the City of Winnipeg’s list, including the mayor, deputy mayor and 15 councillors.

Most employees are named, along with their positions, but a change in recent years lists police officers only by their badge numbers.

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca

2024 Compensation Disclosure