Published in the February 2, 2018 edition
By BOB BURGESS
MELROSE — Several members of the city’s police force keep benefitting from the fact that road work in Melrose continues at a feverish pace.
Thirty-two members of the department earned a spot on the local list of the top 50 paid municipal employees for the just-concluded calendar year. The information used in this report is supplied by City Hall and is based on an employee’s W-2 earnings in 2017, which the Weekly News does not have access to.
The full list appears inside this week’s paper.
Of the top 10 paid city workers last year, only one — schools’ Supt. Cyndy Taymore — is not a police officer. The number of police making the 2017 list is up from the 25 who earned spots the year before.
For 2017, six School Department employees, three firefighters and three members of the Department of Public Works are on the top 50 list. Making a huge jump up the earners’ list in 2017 was DPW Director John Scenna, who made $152,189. In 2016, Scenna made $133,152.
Also on the list in 2017 are outgoing Mayor Robert J. Dolan, city Auditor Patrick Dello Russo, Neal Ellis of the Information Technology Department, City Solicitor Robert Van Campen, Director of City Planning and Development Denise Gaffey and Director of Human Resources Marianne Long.
The top 50 paid Melrose workers earned a combined gross of over $7 million last year, up more than $500,000 from the year before.
At least one on the list of the top paid city workers — Police Chief Mike Lyle — takes care of his own insurance so his gross salary of $138,691 reflects that. The chief defended his men’s ability to earn money through paid private details, said there is a “considerable benefit to the officer and to the city as well.”
For example, the city charges private companies a 15 percent administrative feel to process detail work. While not all details are private, last year police earned just under $1.4 million in detail pay.
The money the city realizes from many details the police work goes back into the city’s General Fund, and is not necessarily directed back toward the Police Department’s annual operating budget.
Leading the way again in 2017 was the Police Department’s David Mackey, who grossed $210,851. That figure includes $107,841.50 in base pay, overtime pay, longevity pay and clothing allowance. The rest — $103,010 — was earned doing details.
The School Department was led by Taymore’s $177,000, followed by Director of Finance and Administrative Affairs Marianne Farrell’s $133,814.
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 some 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 longer-serving ones do because of collective bargaining agreements.
The ones who quality 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.
