Photo: Jon Manchester

One fewer pay period means city wages dropped in 2016.

One fewer pay period had a significant effect on the City of Kelowna's wage structure in 2016.

The city paid out less in wages but more in benefits in 2016, compared to the year previous.

Figures released by the city Thursday show city hall paid out $67.665 million in wages this past year. That's more than $600,000 less than 2015.

A big reason for that discrepancy – one fewer pay period than the year previous.

However, the city still paid out $9.422 million in employee benefits, nearly $2.5 million more than the year previous.

As part of its annual payroll report, the city is required to list all employees, management, CUPE and firefighters, who earn more than $75,000. In 2016, that number totaled 356, compared with 368 in 2015.

City manager Ron Mattiussi drew the largest annual paycheque, $268,301, nearly $20,000 less than in 2015.

The balance of the top five include:

• Ron Westlake - senior project manager, $173,830
• Sam Samaddar - airport manager, $172,265
• Joe Creron - civic operations director, $165,403
• Rob Mayne - corporate and protective services director, $162,892

A total of 48 management staff earned more than $100,000, down from 50 the previous year, while only 67 firefighters crossed the six-figure threshold. That number was 105 in 2015 due to a two-year retroactive payment as part of a new contract settlement.

Only one CUPE member, an airport firefighter, earned more than $100,000.