Five city employees top $250k for 2019

City manager achieved highest payout of all, coming close to $300,000 for year

Ten more employees with the City of Regina and related organizations topped $150,000 in earnings in 2019 than there were in 2018.

A draft of the city’s public accounts for 2019 was published online leading up to a recent finance and administration committee meeting.

Including regular salaries and other expenses (other expenses include such things as vacation credits, sick credits, allowances, membership fees of $1,000 or more and fees incurred upon an employee’s termination), 67 people topped $150,000 in 2019.

That’s up from 2018, when 57 employees made $150,000 or more and 2017 when 61 employees made over $150,000.

Public accounts show how the City of Regina compensates employees who make over $50,000. If a base salary or “regular” wage is under the $50,000 threshold but “other” expenses bump them into the $50,000-or-more category, they are included.

In 2019, five employees made $250,000 or more. All are men. Among the top 10 earners, one is a woman.

Here’s the breakdown:

Among city-specific employees, city manager Christopher Holden brought in the highest base salary of $265,206 with an additional $27,508 in other pay for a grand total of $292,714. Holden consistently tops this list, having earned a total of $291,290 in 2018 and $277,376 in 2017.

Other top earners include Barry Lacey, executive director of Financial Strategy and Sustainability, who brought in $256,640 total ($234,516 regular and $22,124 other) and Byron Werry, city solicitor, who was paid $251,576 total ($229,898 regular, $21,678 other).

At the RPS, Chief Evan Bray earned $265,692 (256,761 regular, $8,931 other) last year which was up $16,404 from 2018. Dean Rae, deputy chief, made $245,292 ($233,166 regular, $12,126 other) while the next top earner at the RPS was Supt. Corey Zaharuk who made $205,927 ($199,282 regular, $6,645 other).

Of the RPS’ three superintendents, Zaharuk was the highest paid. In the same position, Darcy Koch made $202,674 ($196,283 regular, $6,391 other) while Lorilee Davies made $189,671 ($184,299 regular, $5,372 other).

In the past, Regina Exhibition Association Ltd. (REAL) leaders have ranked among the top earners in the public accounts disclosure and 2019 was no different. President and CEO Tim Reid was paid the second-highest salary among all city-connected employees last year at $288,467 ($279,467 regular, $9,000 other).

Last year, four people working at

REAL made more than $150,000, the same number as the year before, but five fewer than 2017. After Reid, Roberta Engel, vice-president, corporate finance and operations, brought in the most with $198,353 total ($194,753 regular, $3,600 other).

Three other workplaces saw earners clear the $150,000 mark: The Regina Public Library (RPL), Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant and Economic Development Regina Inc. (EDR).

Library director and CEO Jeff Barber was paid $199,231 total ($198,465 regular, $766 other). The general manager at the Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant, Ryan Johnson, made $181,610 ($177,710 regular, $3,900 other), and John Lee, president and CEO of EDR, was paid $223,888 ($180,071 regular, $43,817 other).