Vancouver Police Chief Adam Palmer was once again the highest-paid public sector employee in the city last year, with his total earnings reaching $487,224, according to the Vancouver Police Department.
The department released details of his earnings in co-ordination with the City of Vancouver’s annual release last week of its statement of financial information (SOFI), which doesn’t include income of police officers.
The SOFI report, which goes before city council Wednesday, lists the earnings of all non-police officers, including senior managers and firefighters who earned more than $75,000 in 2023.
Mayor Ken Sim and the city’s 10 councillors are included in the report.
Officers’ names and income are not included in the city document because of a privacy ruling made years ago. At the same time, the VPD continues to proactively release the earnings of the chief and his executive under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
The FOIPPA document doesn’t provide a breakdown of Palmer’s earnings, but the Vancouver Police Board has previously told Glacier Media that the amount includes salary, pension, benefits and vacation payouts owed under contract.
In 2023, Palmer’s earnings were $464,207, and $493,932 in 2022.
Technically, the police board is the employer of Palmer and his officers, but the VPD’s budget is approved by city council and funded by the city’s operating budget, which is $2.34 billion for 2025.
The VPD’s operating budget for 2025 is $423.9 million.
Fiona Wilson
The other officers (and their earnings) listed in the FOIPPA document were:
• Deputy chief Fiona Wilson, $370,329
• Deputy chief Steve Rai, $363,799
• Deputy chief Howard Chow, $363,239
• Supt. Andrew Chan, $300,467
• Supt. Shelley Horne, $283.330
• Supt. Lisa Byrne, $276,553
• Supt. Don Chapman, $267,668
• Supt. Howard Tran, $255,358
• Supt. Alison Laurin, $253,224
• Supt. Tyrone Sideroff, $251,613
• Supt. Tanya Whysker, $245,775
As previously reported by BIV, Palmer is leaving the VPD this month to join the RCMP as an assistant commissioner, while Wilson was announced last week as the new chief for the Victoria Police Department.
The police board has yet to announce a replacement for Palmer, or Wilson, who was in the running to become chief in Vancouver.
At the February news conference to announce he was leaving the VPD, Palmer said Wilson, Rai and Chow were his top picks to become the city’s next chief.
City manager earns $387,110
Historically, the chief of police in Vancouver has been the highest paid civic employee, followed by the city manager, a position held by Paul Mochrie, who earned $387,110 last year, according to the SOFI report.
Other top earners at the City of Vancouver were:
• Fire Chief Karen Fry, $309,955
• Deputy city manager Karen Levitt, $337,689
• Deputy city manager Sandra Singh, $336,599
• Deputy city manager Armin Amrolia, $307,144
• General manager of engineering services, Lon LaClaire, $333,067
• Chief librarian Christina de Castell, $307,731
• Director of legal services Francie Connell, $337,329
• Chief human resources officer Andrew Naklicki, $289,633
• Park board general manager Steve Jackson, $298,368
The earnings can include vacation payouts, gratuity and overtime.
Mayor Sim earned $207,958
Meanwhile, Mayor Ken Sim’s earnings totalled $207,958 in 2024.
The earnings for the 10 councillors were:
• Rebecca Bligh, $113,551
• Lenny Zhou, $119,117
• Sarah Kirby-Yung, $119,749
• Pete Fry, $118,514
• Mike Klassen, $115,919
• Peter Meiszner, $114,729
• Brian Montague, $113,411
• Lisa Dominato, $113,411
• Adriane Carr, $108,263
• Christine Boyle, $102,674
Councillors’ earnings varied because some took on deputy mayor, duty councillor and acting mayor duties. The dollar amounts also include “deferred remuneration” paid to Boyle, who resigned in December after being elected in October 2024 to the B.C. legislature as an NDP MLA.
X/@Howellings
