The City of Kamloops payroll went up two-and-a-half per cent in 2018.

The annual Statement of Financial Information shows the city paid out just over $73 million last year, compared to $71.3 million the year earlier.

Finance director Kathy Humphrey says the report shows a three-point-four per cent increase staff wages, but says the payroll hike was not actually that high.

“That’s just the change in the people on the report. The $75,000 (reporting) threshold hasn’t changed since the introduction of the report. And so as general wages increase and as people retire we payout their vacation or overtime owing to them in one lump sum, the report reflects the cash they were paid in the year… This year we just had more people who hit that threshold.”

Each municipality has to report salaries of staff who were paid more than $75,000, and to report all wages to elected officials.

She says the cost increase for city staff is typically closer to 2 per cent every year.

“That’s probably pretty close. I mean our CUPE staff are governed by a collective agreement, so the wages are set in the collective agreement in terms of what increases they get. And then, obviously, like everybody else, the benefit provider cost increase which then affects the benefit component of that. So yes, around two per cent is what we generally budget in our five-year plan.”

The 2018 SOFI report shows 327 people employed by the city were paid more than $75,000, compared to 301 in 2017, while 168 people made more than $100,000.