Overtime, Other Pay Swells Municipal Compensation

Overtime and other compensation substantially swelled the paychecks of some Madison municipal employees in 2010.

Following the initial release of pay records, the borough on Monday posted W-2 records for all municipal employees,  providing a detailed breakdown by base pay, overtime, and other pay contributions.

While borough administrative staff agreed to a wage freeze in 2010, a total of seven unions negotiate contracts for other municipal employees, from police and firefighters to Public Works staff, and electric and water utility workers. Those contracts contain specific provisions for overtime and various other types of compensation.

Borough Administrator Ray Codey earned the highest base pay among all municipal employees, $151,535.04, in 2010. His gross pay ranks third among all borough employees.

Sgt. Dennis Lam, who topped municipal earners for all compensation in 2010, ranked seventh in the department for base pay at $104,177.34. But Lam earned $28,320.84 in overtime pay, and $19,000 in “Police Outside Duty,” pushing his total compensation to $153,441.04.

Police Chief John Trevena earned base pay of $129,964.08—just behind the $129,978.96 taken home by borough chief financial officer Robert Kalafut—but earned no overtime and just $1,140 in outside duty pay.

Firefighter Brian Allen topped pay figures for the with a base salary of $93,292.08, overtime of $12,908.06, and standby pay of $10,611.87 for total compensation of $$118.612.01. Fire Chief Louis DeRosa had base pay of $115,007.52, with just $712.62 in overtime and no other additional compensation.

Among non-police employees, Water Department Foreman Sal DeBiasse earned the most overtime, $16,109.61, and, with standby pay of $15,775.32 and miscellaneous payment of $2,500.08 for serving as water treatment operator, took home a total of $130,328.13.