CBS 13 - Maine: Meet Portland’s $70,000 Club – 406 City Employees Who Out Earned The Governor And Cost Taxpayers $37 Million Last Year Trans_Tracker

November 3, 2022 01:13 PM

CBS13

 

By Adam Andrzejewski

CEO Founder of OpenTheBooks.com

 

TOP 10 Top-Paid City Employees In 2021 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 

Employee Name 
 
 
 
 

Job Title 
 
 
 
 

Department 
 
 
 
 

 Regular Pay  
 
 
 
 

Overtime Pay  
 
 
 
 

 Other Pay  
 
 
 
 

 Term Pay  
 
 
 
 

 Total  
 
 
 
 

BELANGER, JON D 
 
 

FIREFIGHTER EMT-B 
 
 

Fire Department 
 
 

 $61,790  
 
 

 $150,703  
 
 

 $7,971  
 
 

 $  -    
 
 

 $220,463  
 
 
 
 

MARTIN, ROBERT M 
 
 

POLICE MAJOR (CONTRACT) 
 
 

Police Department 
 
 

$111,692  
 
 

 $8,844  
 
 

 $32,666  
 
 

 $40,499  
 
 

 $193,702  
 
 
 
 

JENNINGS, JON P 
 
 

CITY MANAGER 
 
 

City Manager 
 
 

 $152,073  
 
 

 $        -    
 
 

 $28,138  
 
 

 $12,574  
 
 

 $192,785  
 
 
 
 

DOHERTY JR, ROBERT J 
 
 

POLICE LIEUTENANT - OPS 
 
 

Police Department 
 
 

 $102,694  
 
 

 $52,295  
 
 

 $1,000  
 
 

 $       -    
 
 

$155,989  
 
 
 
 

THOMPSON, JEFFREY R 
 
 

FIREFIGHTER EMT-B 
 
 

Fire Department 
 
 

$64,980  
 
 

 $80,038  
 
 

 $10,753  
 
 

 $       -    
 
 

$155,770  
 
 
 
 

WEST, DANIELLE P 
 
 

CORPORATE COUNSEL 
 
 

Legal 
 
 

 $154,460  
 
 

 $        -    
 
 

 $1,000  
 
 

 $       -    
 
 

 $155,460  
 
 
 
 

CENATE JR, JOHN S 
 
 

AIR FIRE CAPTAIN EMT-P 
 
 

Fire Department 
 
 

 $72,491  
 
 

$76,628  
 
 

 $6,114  
 
 

 $       -    
 
 

 $ 155,233  
 
 
 
 

O'CONNELL, BRENDAN T 
 
 

FINANCE DIRECTOR 
 
 

Finance 
 
 

 $142,909  
 
 

 $        -    
 
 

 $6,000  
 
 

 $       -    
 
 

 $148,909  
 
 
 
 

THOMPSON, JONATHAN J 
 
 

FIREFIGHTER EMT-B 
 
 

Fire Department 
 
 

$62,852  
 
 

$74,659  
 
 

$10,158  
 
 

 $       -    
 
 

 $147,669  
 
 
 
 

BRADBURY, PAUL H 
 
 

AIRPORT DIRECTOR 
 
 

Transportation 
 
 

$138,857  
 
 

 $        -    
 
 

$6,698  
 
 

 $      -    
 

$145,554  

 

OpenTheBooks.com analyzed the 2021 payroll for the City of Portland, provided through a Maine Public Records Act request.

 

So, just who is making all of this money? 

 

Meet the Portland $70,000 Club— city employees making more than Maine Governor Janet Mills. The club is comprised of 406 city employees. 

 

The most highly compensated city employee was Jon Belanger, a firefighter emergency medical technician (EMT). Belanger earned $220,463 – including $150,702 in overtime. In fact, three of the top ten most highly compensated city employees last year were EMTs. These EMTs doubled or tripled their base pay with lots of overtime hours during the pandemic year.  

 

Portland’s city manager and the mayor both earned six-figure paychecks. City manager Jon Jennings earned $192,784 and left the position in November 2021. Jennings replacement was Danielle West, who made $155,460 as the city attorney. In the city manager position, West will make $181,000.


City Mayor Kate Snyder earned $102,356 in 2021. By contrast, the eight councilors each made approximately $6,898 in wages.  

 

The fire department had 98 employees who out earned the governor. Fire topped all other city departments with $16.6 million in total payroll.  

 

The police department spent the second most on payroll: $14.6 million. Police had 31 officers and employees out earn the governor. The highest earner was a police major on contract who earned $193,702 – the second highest compensation in the city.  

 

At the Barron Center, there were 34 employees who out earned the governor at a threshold salary of $70,000. Some of the highest earners were certified nurse assistants (CNA) who worked overtime and made up to $120,670 with $60,303 in overtime wages. 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 

Department 
 
 
 
 

 Total Payroll 2021  
 
 
 
 

Fire Department 
 
 

 $          16,601,955  
 
 
 
 

Police Department 
 
 

 $          14,649,863  
 
 
 
 

Barron Center 
 
 

 $          11,380,126  
 
 
 
 

Public Works 
 
 

 $             9,704,994  
 
 
 
 

Rec & Facilities 
 
 

 $             6,193,137  
 
 
 
 

Social Services 
 
 

 $             5,561,848  
 
 
 
 

Transportation 
 
 

 $             3,408,886  
 
 
 
 

Permitting & Inspections 
 
 

 $             1,940,131  
 
 
 
 

Dispatch 
 
 

 $             1,880,592  
 
 
 
 

Finance 
 
 

 $             1,781,799  

 

 

Our auditors at OpenTheBooks.com found 248 city employees who each racked up more than $10,000 in overtime during 2021. 

 

Note: We requested comment from the city manager and mayor and didn’t hear back by our deadline. 

 

Learn more at OpenTheBooks.com.  

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