By Seth Daniel
Of the Top 100 highest paid employees in the City of Chelsea during 2016, over 75 percent were from the Police Department or the Fire Department, with 76 individuals from public safety occupying the highest-paying roles.
This week, the City released the Top 100 list for 2016. Chief Brian Kyes remained the highest-paid individual, earning $226,068. This represents a decrease of roughly $3,000 compared to the previous year and includes income from details and contractual arrangements tied to his law degree.
All of the top six highest earners were members of the Police Department, and the CPD had the largest representation on the list, with 41 individuals. This is partially due to the inclusion of detail pay, which reflects compensation for work performed outside regular shifts and is typically funded by external sources rather than tax dollars.
The Fire Department also had a strong showing, with 35 of the Top 100 employees coming from that department.
The School Department followed with 20 employees on the list.
In total, the Police, Fire, and School Departments accounted for 96 of the Top 100 positions.
This year, City Manager Tom Ambrosino made his debut on the list in his first full year in the role, securing the 11th spot with an annual salary of $171,400 as outlined in his contract. He was not listed in 2015, as he had only been employed for six months during that year.
For 2015, the Fire Department held the majority of the highest-paid spots, with 44 of the Top 100. At that time, the Police Department had 38 individuals on the list. The increased number of Fire Department employees in 2015 was due in part to state funding for overtime related to the closure of the Washington Avenue Bridge for a significant portion of the year.
Kyes explained that his salary is based on a contract, which includes additional compensation for his status as a licensed attorney. Before becoming chief, he maintained a separate law practice. As chief, he had the option to continue that practice for up to 16 hours a week, but instead chose to take on detail work within the City for the same number of hours, allowing him to remain more actively engaged in the community.
However, this arrangement will come to an end by June 30, 2017, as Kyes has announced the renegotiation of his contract. In exchange for a longer term and a salary increase, he has agreed to stop working details.
Kyes noted that his base salary, excluding detail work, places him in the middle range among Massachusetts police chiefs.
In Revere, for comparison, Chief Joe Cafarelli earned $213,872 in 2016, and his salary does not include compensation for extra hours worked on details. By contract, he is not permitted to take on such work.
The highest-paid employee in the School Department was Supt. Mary Bourque, who earned $175,555 in 2016.
In contrast, Revere Supt. Dianne Kelley, who was in her first year in 2016, earned $191,912 during the same period.
Bourque was also recently honored as the state Superintendent of the Year for 2016.
It is worth noting that all individuals on the Top 100 list earned more than $110,000 annually.
Fifteen years ago, very few municipal employees in Chelsea earned more than $110,000 per year.