The City of Nanaimo made public the latest expense reports of its highest-paid employees.
The municipality sent out a press release last week noting that it will publish expense reports every six months for employees who earn at least $75,000 over that period.
“The new process of increasing the reporting out of financial information detailing staff salaries and expenses is intended to provide greater transparency around how money at city hall is being spent,” said Tracy Samra, chief administrative officer. “This step, combined with the increased quarterly reporting for council expenses that's now underway, has dramatically increased the availability and frequency of this type of information.”
The city’s report details expenses for six employees – Samra; Dale Lindsay, director of community development; Victor Mema, director of finance; Richard Harding, director of parks, recreation and environment; Craig Richardson, fire chief; and John Van Horne, director of human resources.
During the first six months of 2016, Samra’s expenses were highest at $10,763, including $5,118 to attend the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators conference in Winnipeg in early June.
Mema’s expenses were next highest at $7,148. Harding’s expenses were only $38.