18 Metro-North Employees Made More Than $250K Last Year

HUDSON VALLEY, NY - As prices of Metro-North Rail Road fares go up, so do the yearly paychecks of its employees — but at a much reduced level than five years ago.

The number of Metro-North employees who made more than $250,000 increased to 18 in 2018 from 12 in 2017, according to payroll data found on the Empire Center for Public Policy's transparency website, SeeThroughNY.net.

The number of employees who made more than $300,000 continued to be lower than five years ago. Two employees topped a $300,000 paycheck in 2018 compared to none in 2017. In 2016, then-Metro-North president Joseph J. Giulietti was the only employee to make more than $300,000.

Compare that to 2015, when 10 employees made more than $300,000; and that was down from 2014, when 13 employees topped $300,000 including then-Metro-North President Howard R. Permut (whose annual take was $453,584).

In 2018, the top-paid Metro-North employee was Richard R. Bourt Jr., who was second on the 2017 salary ranking. A track supervisor, his rate of pay was $49 an hour. After him, Harry L. Dobson, a supervisor for structures including Grand Central Terminal.

Metro-North's president, Catherine Rinaldi was No. 3 on the 2018 list, up from No. 20 in 2017, with a total pay of $297,253.

Check out the full list of Metro-North employees who were paid more than $250,000 last year:

• Richard R. Bourt Jr. - $311,706
• Harry L. Dobson - $301,626
• Catherine Rinaldi - $297,253
• Eduardo Vargas - $296,367
• Andrew Zagajeski - $295,905
• Gregory J. McConnell - $290,620
• Michael J. Margallis - $281,685
• Joel D. Lewis - $272,669
• Eric C. Williams - $271,131
• Stephen Alexander - $269,299
• Michael F. Foster - $264,973
• Albert M. Santini - $263,250
• James Tyler - $260,421
• Joseph Aprea - $260,051
• Larry Lancione - $257,431
• Horace A. Moulton - $255,888
• Thomas S. Lennon - $252,295
• Walter G. Burger, III - $250,075

By Priscila Korb, Patch Staff. Patch Editor Lanning Taliaferro contributed to this report.