144 City of Coquitlam workers made more than $150k last year: report
Debt was down and salaries were up in Coquitlam last year.
Including expenses and all remuneration, 144 Coquitlam employees earned more than $150,000 in 2024.
There were 65 city hall staffers who took home at least $150,000 in 2023.
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Some of the top earners included chief administrative officer Raul Allueva, who earned $422,803 and deputy chief administrative officer Michelle Hunt, who took home $373,507, including expenses.
Including benefits and expenses, Mayor Richard Stewart was paid $232,602 in 2024, about $13,000 more than 2023.
Along with $7,279 in benefits, councillors earned $84,072 last year, up from $78,311 in 2023.
Expenses in 2024 ranged from $675 for Coun. Robert Mazzarolo to $7,724 for Coun. Teri Towner.
Couns. Steve Kim and Trish Mandewo notched expenses of $890 and $960, respectively.
Mayor Stewart reported $8,438 in expenses.
Expenses are generally incurred when mayor and council represent the city at events and conferences.
Wages and salaries added up to $158 million in 2024, nearly $11 million more than 2023 and $50 million more than 2020.
The city employed 1,401 workers in 2024, including RCMP officers.
The city’s external debt dropped from $68 per capita in 2023 to $59 per capita in 2024.
The city’s cash and cash equivalents shot up from $172 million in 2023 in $271 million in 2024.
The total amount of taxes collected rose from $185 million in 2023 to $204 million in 2024. The city collected $153.8 million for other governments and the rest for municipal purposes.
With a tab of $6.2 million, the city’s biggest corporate taxpayer was shopping centre owner Pensionfund Realty Ltd.
Fraser Mills Properties Ltd. paid $4 million and Loblaw Properties West Inc. paid $3 million in taxes. Anthem Soco Developments Ltd. paid $1.5 million on vacant property.
Ikea Properties paid $1.2 million and Onni Whiting Way Holdings paid $1.18 on miscellaneous properties.
Aside from Fraser Mills Properties paying $4 million on industrial property, five of the eight biggest taxpayers are shopping centre owners.
Many of the city’s major employers are retail operations including Superstore, Save-On-Foods, Ikea, Walmart, and T&T, as well as chain restaurants like McDonalds and Tim Hortons.
Other major employers including Great Canadian Casino Vancouver and WN Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
Industrial employers include GFL Environmental Inc and Superior Poultry Processors Ltd.
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