Regina city manager fired in 2022 got $850K payout, making him highest-paid employee
4 of the 5 members of Regina's executive leadership team have been fired, departed or retired since 2022
Two former members of the City of Regina's executive team received more than $1 million combined in "other" payments in 2022 as part of agreements that saw them leave their jobs.
On Feb. 7, 2022, city council voted 9-1 to fire city manager Chris Holden.
Documents headed to city council this week reveal that Holden received nearly $850,000 in remuneration as part of his termination without cause — making him the highest paid Regina employee in 2022 despite only being employed by the city for two months of that year.
Holden received $86,722 in regular salary and $849,319 as other remuneration in the City of Regina's 2022 public accounts.
The payout for the former city manager is just one of many made to senior employees leaving their positions with the City of Regina — highlighting a growing issue at city hall where only one of the city's executive leadership team has been in their position since the beginning of 2022.
Among those who left their positions is Diana Hawryluk, who was Regina's executive director of city planning and community development until March 2022. Hawryluk was employed by Regina for more than 10 years before the city "mutually agreed to part ways" with her.
She received $335,970 in 2022, making her the second highest paid employee that year. According to public accounts, Hawryluk earned $82,378 in regular compensation and received $253,592 in other remuneration.
Statements from the city indicate that the other remuneration for Hawryluk and Holden included severance, payout for earned vacation, retirement allowance, car allowance and supplementary pension plan payment.
Louise Folk retired from her role as director of planning on June 30, 2022, making her the third senior executive to leave in the first six months of 2022.
According to the public accounts, Folk earned $124,703 in regular compensation and $46,345 in other compensation for a total of $171,048.
The public accounts only cover a period up to Dec. 31, 2022, which means the details around the retirements of two other senior officials not covered in the report.
Kim Onrait retired as the city's executive director of citizen services on May 31, 2023. Last year he earned $244,640 in compensation.
The departures are not yet over, with city solicitor Byron Werry set to retire at the end of this month.
Werry earned a total of $229,447 in compensation in 2022.
With Onrait's retirement, only one of the city's executive leadership team has been in their position since the beginning of 2022: Barry Lacey, executive director of financial strategy and sustainability.
Lacey received $243,631 in compensation in 2022.
Every one of the city's executives are among the 115 city employees who earned more than $150,000 in 2022, compared to 93 employees earning that amount the year before.
That list also includes Mayor Sandra Masters, Police Chief Evan Bray and Regina Exhibition Association Limited (REAL) CEO Tim Reid.
The largest category of city workers that earned more than $150,000 is the Regina Police Service, which had 53.
At a news conference on Monday, Mayor Sandra Masters declined to answer any questions not related to the Canada Farm Show.
The City of Regina did not respond when asked for an interview with city manager Niki Anderson to discuss the near complete turnover of senior personnel since 2022.
Instead, the city said in a statement that retirements and changes to senior leadership in any large organization are to be expected.
"As senior leadership changes, opportunities arise to build on previously established foundations," read the unattributed statement.
"New leaders bring fresh perspectives and facilitate change that strengthens the organization, keeping it responsive, vibrant and healthy, and renewing the City's commitment to continual improvement."
It's not clear what Anderson is being paid.
Despite starting in November 2022, her compensation is not listed in the public accounts.
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