 |
|
6-figure club Number of employees who were paid at least $100,000 in 2005 in your community:
|
Big bucks on public’s payroll More than 400 city and town employees on the South Shore took home upward of $100,000 last year, with police and school staffs dominating the six-figure club.
Bragging rights for top-paid public employee went to a school administrator: Norwell Superintendent Donald Beaudette pocketed $165,049 in 2005. Randolph Assistant Superintendent of Schools Kathrine LeTourneau and Quincy Police Chief Robert Crowley rounded out the top three, both collecting more than $162,000. Beaudette attributed his hefty paycheck in part to his 12-year-tenure with the district. “The longer you stay in the system, your salary will build up,” said Beaudette, who lives in Norwell. “The school committee in Norwell over the years has long recognized the connection between performance and pay. Our teachers have been among the highest paid, our superintendent has been, but the results have also been strong results.” The Patriot Ledger collected information about the 2005 gross earnings of more than 20,000 employees in 26 South Shore communities and four regional school districts. The figures include base salaries and additional earnings such as overtime, differentials and, in some cases, payments for unused sick or vacation time. Among the Ledger’s findings: The upper-echelon earners account for about 3 percent of municipal employees who made at least $20,000. According to the latest figures available from the Census Bureau, about 5 percent of full-time, year-round workers were paid more than $100,000 in 1999. That figure includes private and public sector jobs. But for every employee who pulls down a six-figure income, eight or more make less than $50,000. “As a general matter, I don’t think municipal salaries are on the high side,” said Michael J. Widmer, president of Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, an independent budget watchdog group. “My impression is that there are a lot of municipal workers who make major contributions who are underpaid for the service they provide the local community, whether it’s the highway department and then certainly teachers.” Joseph Bisaccio, a member of the Plymouth Finance Committee, agreed that most salaries are anything but outrageous. He said a sluggish economy and reductions in state aid have forced towns like his to be conservative when it comes to doling out raises. “I don’t think (salaries) have gone up in the town sector as much as in private industry,” he said. Still, a decent number of employees do well, chief among them police officers. That’s because their base pay can be dwarfed by the money they make working lucrative detail gigs at roadside construction sites. Factor in overtime and educational incentives, and it’s easy to see why so many officers land near the top of the payroll. Take Brian Hickman, a Braintree patrolman whose income of $155,771 was the fifth highest of any city or town employee on the South Shore. He made $29,000 more than his boss, Police Chief Paul Frazier. Hickman, who’s been on the job 33 years, said he picks up details whenever he can, sometimes working 75 or 80 hours in a week. “I have two children in college,” he said. “One college tuition is $33,000 a year. The other is $22,000. I work as much as I can so my children won’t have a tough nut to crack when they graduate. My children are my life.” The details are paid for by utilities and other companies that are required by state law to have a police officer on hand when roadwork is under way. Quincy’s Chief Crowley, whose paycheck was tops in the city, said he thinks some Quincy employees deserve to earn more than he does, but he doesn’t think police should be faulted for what they make. “You’ve got to remember most of these salaries were negotiated by contract,” Crowley said. “Cities and towns through the years have approved the salaries, the raises, the benefits that the police receive. If the cities and towns are willing to agree to these salaries, then the police themselves shouldn’t be criticized.” For other municipal jobs, fat salaries are the product of a competitive marketplace. Recent high turnover among school superintendents, and the ever-growing demands of the job are forcing towns to pony up when it comes to top educators’ pay, for example. “The market is now demanding those salaries,” said Widmer, of the Taxpayers Foundation. “The job of a school superintendent was never easy, but it has now become immensely challenging with all of the requirements and demands from parents and the federal and state government.” LeTourneau, the Randolph assistant superintendent whose salary ranked second on the South Shore, got a pay boost because she filled in as interim superintendent until July. She said the town actually saved money as a result because the schools weren’t paying an assistant superintendent or business manager while she was in charge. But in general she agreed districts have to open their wallets wider than ever to lure top administrators. “It’s almost like the Red Sox or a baseball team looking for good manager,” LeTourneau said. “They’re going to have to search around and pay to get the quality person they want.” Karen Eschbacher may be reached . |
THE TOP 20
South Shore municipal employees paid the most in 2005. Totals are gross earnings and may include overtime, differentials and payments for unused vacation or sick time.
1 $165,049.37
2 $162,836.27
3 $162,443.79
4 $157,195.55 5 $155,771.16
6 $154,409.38
7 $152,426.80
8 $151,328.60
9 $151,314.98
10 $151,289.24
11 $144,956.86
12 $144,929.57
13 $144,751.16
14 $144,746.31
15 $144,504
16 $143,791.06
17 $141,947.39
18 $141,542.24
19 $140,080.46
20 $139,770.50
|
Light plant workers among top earners
© Copyright The Patriot Ledger ~ All rights reserved |
