The City of Vancouver’s 2023 financial statement came out today, and the mayor continues to make big bucks.
Ken Sim’s salary is just less than $201,000 per year.
Every city councillor in Vancouver also makes more than six figures, with Councillor Rebecca Bligh making the most of all at around $114,000.
Meanwhile, the mayor’s discretionary expenses also appear to tower over those of his councillors, at approximately $725,000.
Renumeration and expenses for political staff are included within the mayor’s discretionary expenses.
According to city bylaws, other eligible expenses in this category for the mayor include registration and attendance fees for courses, meetings and conventions, communications expenses, fees for consulting services, cost of research, and cost of community outreach and events. The limit to these expenses is approved every year by council in the city’s annual budget.
For councillors, this category has a $30,000 spending limit.
Christine Boyle with OneCity Vancouver was the councillor who spent the least in discretionary expenses, at just less than $7,000. Councillor Pete Fry spent the second lowest amount and Councillor Adrienne Carr spent the third lowest amount — both councillors are Green Party of Vancouver members.
Boyle, Fry and Carr are the only councillors who don’t belong to Ken Sim’s political party ABC Vancouver. All the ABC councillors spent around $25,000 each in discretionary expenses.