The City of Prince Rupert has revealed last year's expenses to the public.
At the June 23 regular meeting, council approved and released its 2024 Statement of Financial Information (SOFI), which included a full summary of the remuneration and expenses for all elected officials and city employees.
The statement indicated a total of $19.22 million in remuneration and taxable benefits being handed out last year.
The Financial Information Act requires Prince Rupert to prepare a SOFI document that provides information on the city's financial transactions that occurred during the past fiscal year. The document must be approved by council within six months after the end of the year.
The SOFI shows the remunerations and expenses incurred by all employees earning $75,000 or more, as well as the payments made to all vendors who were paid $25,000 or more.
Mayor Herb Pond said that $75,000 was also the SOFI minimum when he was first elected to council almost 30 years ago.
"It was a very small list of people that made it over the $75,000 threshold back then," he said. "I would strongly encourage the province to tweak that number, because we're hitting the place where most employees now, many of our employees, cross that $75,000 threshold."
A total of 134 city employees made over $75,000 in 2024, for a total of $14.55 million. City manager Robert Buchan was the highest earner, receiving $269,510, and deputy city manager Richard Pucci made $223,599. Buchan and Pucci were the only employees who made over $200,000, while 58 other employees each made over $100,000.
The total remuneration to council members was $234,530, with Pond earning $93,812 while six councillors made $23,453 each. Additionally, Pond and council members spent $71,354 in expenses.
The total remuneration to all other city employees was $4.43 million.
Training and related travel expenses cost $316,612 and business travel and other expenses cost $184,564.
Other expenses included grants or contributions to the tune of $1.93 million. The largest of these was the City's contribution to the Prince Rupert Public Library at $838,000.
The city paid suppliers of goods and services $77.95 million in 2024. Of those 13 received more the $1 million in payments. Top on the list was the Coast Tsimshian Northern Contractor's Alliance at $25.23 million, followed by Broadwater Industries at $7.18 million and the RCMP at $5 million.
Pond encouraged the public to view the SOFI document as it provides transparency.
"It's one of the things I love about the nature of local government and how we're required to operate," he said.
"There is full transparency and you may not like what you see, but it's there for you to see, so I encourage people to have a look."
