Published in the January 27, 2017 edition
MELROSE — While not as bad as in 2015, Melrose continued to be a city under construction last year. As a result, the police were able to work a lot of road details and make quite a bit of money in the process.
Of the top 10 paid city employees last calendar year, nine were members of the Melrose Police Department. In total, there were 25 police on the list of the 50 top paid Melrose workers. By comparison, there were eight School Department employees, eight firefighters, four members of the public works department as well as Mayor Robert Dolan, the city solicitor, the city auditor, the city planner and the city Human Resources director, all of whom are department heads.
The top 50 paid municipal workers grossed $6,419,026 in 2016, about the same as they did the year before.
At least one on the list of the top paid city workers — Police Chief Michael Lyle — takes care of his own insurance so his gross salary of $134,409 reflects that.
Leading the way in 2016 was the Police Department’s David Mackey, who grossed nearly $202,000. That figure includes $91,463 in detail pay and $110,450 in base pay, overtime pay, sick pay, longevity and clothing allowance.
The information used in this report is supplied by City Hall and is based on an employee’s W-2 earnings, which the Weekly News does not have access to.
Fewer police have made the top 50 list in the past several years. In 2016, half on the list were police. In 2015, just over half were police. In 2014, 34 of the top 50 were police.
Police Lt. James Mulrenan earned $176,329.72 in 2016. Of that gross total, $121,485 was base pay, overtime, sick pay, longevity and clothing allowance; $54,844 was for detail work.
The city charges private companies a 15 percent administrative fee to process detail work details. Details worked in 2016 by police within Melrose’s borders totaled $997,542, down over $1 million from the year before.
Supt. of Schools Cyndy Taymore, who earned $174,836, up about $9,000 from 2015, was third on the list of the city’s top 50 paid employees. Marianne Farrell, the schools’ director of Finance and Administrative Affairs, was the second highest paid School Department employee at $132,494.
Also making the list of the top 50 paid city employees were Dolan, Auditor/Chief Financial Officer Patrick Dello Russo, City Solicitor Robert Van Campen, Human Resources Director Marianne Long and Director of Planning/Community Development Denise Gaffey.
An employee’s gross pay includes all stipends he enjoys, any contractual reimbursements, any overtime pay and any money made performing private details.
The fact Melrose is involved in the state’s lucrative Quinn Bill designed to reward police for furthering their law enforcement education helps members of the local department earn their way onto the top 50 list every year.
Some younger department members receive less from the Quinn Bill than older ones due to collective bargaining agreements.
The ones who qualify for the biggest Quinn Bill benefits get 25 percent of their base pay added to their compensation each pay week if they have a master’s degree; 20 percent if they have a bachelor’s degree, and 10 percent extra if they have an associate’s degree.
Certain officers also get extra compensation for working night shifts, weekends and holidays.
All firefighters receive a small amount of money for working at night; some also work private details.
