WHAT THE NUMBERS SAY AND THE CITY WON'T TELL YOU

 City of Nanaimo Financial & Staffing Report – Detailed Analysis

Prepared by Voice of Nanaimo

This report explores the City's 2024 financials compared to 2018, examining tax revenues, expenses, wages, and staffing. The purpose is to illustrate how public money is being used and whether current trends serve taxpayers.

Theme: Numbers Tell a Story

Municipal finance isn't just about spreadsheets—it's a reflection of policy choices. Numbers can reveal priorities, mismanagement, or bloat, if you're fluent in the language of budgets. Unfortunately, many on council are not. In the absence of financial literacy, we get slogans like 'doughnut economics' instead of sober fiscal planning.

Highlights: 2018 vs 2024

Category	2018	2024
Total Taxes & Fees	$152,469,860	$217,486,779
Total Revenue	$187,476,274	$271,766,975
Total Expenses	$158,389,864	$224,900,443
Annual Surplus	$29,086,410	$46,866,552
Accumulated Surplus	$761,000,797	$1,055,145,994
Wages & Benefits	$64,820,429	$90,806,222
Policing	$28,660,500	$42,062,365
Contract Services	$51,479,092	$74,609,919
All Staff Wages	$54,974,163	$73,371,095
Management Wages	$6,398,142	$11,565,558
CUPE Wages	$13,734,909	$29,049,775
IAFF Wages	$10,227,510	$14,172,885
Under 75K Wages	$24,218,695	$18,034,933

Key Findings

- Total City Revenues are up 45%.
- Total Wages (excluding RCMP policing) up 33.5%.
- CUPE wages up 111.5%; Management wages up 80.8%; IAFF up 38.6%.
- Lower-paid positions under $75K fell 34.3%.
- Population rose just 11.5%.
- Police budget (contracted) up 46.7%.
- Accumulated surplus rose by nearly $300 million.

Interpretation

Wage growth is being driven not by population needs, but internal expansion. Public sector unions have won major gains—outpacing inflation and job growth in most of the private sector. Council's role in 'negotiation' is questionable, as they are told to approve wage hikes or face arbitration with the same result.

Final Thoughts

The City is functioning less as a service provider and more as a job provider for itself. The sharp drop in lower-income roles while management and union wages balloon suggests a system that rewards internal promotion, not taxpayer value.