Save for changes to council's expenses and remunerations, the District of Sechelt's draft 2012 annual report should stay the same until council adopts it in early August.
At the July 17 regular council meeting, chief financial officer Victor Mema presented a new schedule of remuneration and expenses for council after realizing some of the funds were not reported accurately in the draft annual report released earlier this month.
According to Mema, the first numbers showed the mayor, for example, making $21,866 and claiming $10,933 in expenses in 2012, whereas the July 17 numbers he presented showed Henderson made $32,799 and claimed $17,267 in expenses.
All of the councillors' remuneration and expenses were also off by thousands.
"There was two, maybe three things involved there," Mema said. "The first one had to do with remuneration for elected officials. There's a part that's taxable, there's a part that's not taxable so what had happened was the first numbers we gave you were a simple split of taxable and untaxable, which was incorrect."
Mema explained that the mayor actually makes $36,000 a year, but around $4,000 comes off for benefits, leaving the remainder as taxable income, which is what needs to be reported.
The change in expenses, Mema said, had to do with what expenses the mayor and councillors actually signed off on.
For example, whether Henderson used his own money to go to a conference or signed off on dinners with the District's credit card, the bill ultimately lands in his expense category, Henderson said when Coast Reporter sat down with the mayor and Mema on July 23.
"There were many occasions last year where it was easier with my District credit card that I ended up paying for things," Henderson noted.
Each councillor is paid around $18,000 a year, Mema said; however, some have chosen different levels of benefits, which affects their reported remuneration for 2012.
The draft annual report now shows Doug Hockley brought home $16,162 and expensed $4,662 last year; Tom Lamb made $14,487 and expensed $4,283; Alice Lutes was paid $18,170 and expensed $8,037 (largely due to a conference she attended in Ottawa); Chris Moore received $15,494 and expensed $3,506; Mike Shanks took home $14,790 and expensed $1,206; and Darnelda Siegers also made $14,790 and expensed $4,410.
The draft report, without these new financial numbers reflected, is posted in full on the District's website at www.district.sechelt.bc.ca.
The draft annual report also highlights the District's accomplishments in 2012.
"The obvious things are the big things, the wastewater treatment project, the airport, setting a foundation, and the terrific financial results despite the unexpected, unplanned, uncontrolled issues that we faced between the sinkhole, the Trail Bay foreshore, the golf course, some of the personnel costs. You know, we absorbed all of those and end up in a business of this size essentially at break even, and that's pretty good," Henderson said.
The draft annual report shows Sechelt was left with a $296,189 deficit in 2012, which was covered by reserves.
One standout in the report is the huge jump in construction in 2012. Last year there was about $42,550,554 of construction in Sechelt, compared to $17,934,167 the previous year.
The big boost is influenced mainly by Watermark, the Wharf Road Place and the Sangara developments, Henderson said.
While the building boom is beneficial for the District in some financial ways through things like development cost charges, Henderson sees more value in how the projects are perceived by other possible investors.
"The demonstration by investors that they want to invest in Sechelt, that is by far the biggest thing," Henderson said. "It attracts other people."
Looking forward to 2013, Henderson said his council will focus more on business attraction through Sechelt Innovations Ltd., the District's business development group, and continue to push for airport development.
