The mayor and councillors cost taxpayers $405,715 in pay and expenses last year.
The amount is a $56,806 increase over 2011, which can partially be attributed to the roughly 30 per cent raise for councillors which came into effect Jan. 1, 2012. Currently, councillors receive more than $31,000 per year, when in the past they were paid about $23,800.
Mayor Shari Green racked up the most in expenses at $20,057, which was more than was ever reported by her predecessor Dan Rogers - who capped out at $17,800 in 2009 - but less than Colin Kinsley's $27,725 reported in 2008.
Last year also marked the first year that mayor and councillor expenses were detailed, with travel claim documents being added to publicly available expense reports in late June 2012.
Among the mayor's expenses were trips for various conferences, educational workshops, and promotional exercises.
Of the councillors, Dave Wilbur topped the expense list at $7,011, closely followed by Coun. Lyn Hall who spent $6,266. On the bottom end, Coun. Brian Skakun spent $1,855 while there were no expenses logged for Coun. Frank Everitt.
That's not to say that Everitt have expenses in 2012, but that he didn't submit any expense claims for travel until earlier this year. In January, he submitted claims totalling more than $5,000 for trips to last year's Federation of Canadian Municipalities and Union of B.C. Municipalities conferences. Coun. Garth Frizzell also didn't submit any 2012 expenses until this April, but billed the city for $3,108 - which is likely 2011 travel.
On Monday night, council will approve the numbers contained in the annual statement of financial information as well as the 2012 annual report.
The financial information also details the 229 city employees who were paid more than $75,000. Former city manager Derek Bates topped the list, earning $225,059.
Corporate services director Kathleen Soltis, who is the city's chief financial officer and stepped in as acting city manager last October when Bates left, was the next highest on the list, taking in $192,579.
The report, which is available for review in hard copy at City Hall or online as part of Monday night's council agenda, includes audited financial statements, an overview of services and operations as well as a report outlining progress on various projects and goals for the year.
