Police officers Joseph McNeil and Orlando Soto combined to make almost $600,000 in 2011.
Their gross income soared last year because it included two year's compensation for lost wages incurred during a suspension without pay that started June 2009, said Ronald Ing, director of human resources.
"They had settlements as a result of a town action against them," Ing said. "State couldn't find anything and withdrew charges."
The charges of wrongdoing against McNeil and Soto that related to ex-Mayor James R. Miron's brother were dropped in early 2011.
Ing provided the numbers for town employees. He said the list includes only active employees. About 75 percent of the top 100 town employees are represented by the Stratford and departments, Ing said.
The list below includes both town and school employees, the latter of which hold 21 spots in the top 50 wage earners in 2011.
Police and fire claim the first seven positions, which is reflective of contractual obligations tied to the jobs, Ing said.
A list of the top 100 highest wage earners on the town side can be viewed as a PDF in the photo gallery, as well as a list of the top 30 school employees.
Share your thoughts on Stratford's highest paid employees in the comments section below.
Name Job Title 2011 Gross Income 1 Joseph McNeil Captain, Police Dept. $296,843 2 Orlando Soto Lieutenant, Police Dept. $293,954 3 Thomas Murray Asst. Chief, Fire Dept. $200,806 4 Michael Nealy Public Safety Dispatcher $180,047 5 Timothy Brennan Asst. Chief, Fire Dept. $165,876 6 David Salik Captain, Police Dept. $153,923 7 Mark Doyle Lieutenant, Police Dept. $151,169 8 Ellen Michaels Director of Pupil Personnel Services $142,518 9 Margaret Lasek Principal, $142,518 10 Dudley Orr Principal, $141,901 11 Edward Molloy Director of Technology $140,178 12 Michael Feeney Chief Operating Officer $138,000 13 Thaddeus Walewski Sergeant, Police Dept. $134,200 14 Elaine Watson Asst. Superintendent $134,000 15 John Lynch Principal, $132,339 16 John Dellapiano Principal, $132,339 17 Victor Velez Sergeant, Police Dept. $131,253 18 Lawrence Overbay Patrol Officer, Police Dept. $127,682 19 Charles Senft Asst. Principal, Stratford High $127,249 20 Joseph Crapanzano Coordinator, Alt. Services - ALPHA $127,249 21 Robert Burroughs Patrol Officer, Police Dept. $126,944 22 Thomas Clements Patrol Officer, Police Dept. $125,651 23 Marcia McNeil Patrol Officer, Police Dept. $124,348 24 Frederick Wilcoxson Sergeant, Police Dept. $123,726 25 Lance Edwards Asst. Chief, Fire Dept. $121,255 26 Lea Ann Bradford Principal, $118,765 27 Max Berkowitz Asst. Principal, Bunnell High $118,765 28 James Noga Principal, $118,765 29 Mary Ann Craig Principal, $118,765 30 William Pancak Asst. Principal, Stratford High $118,765 31 Nancy Dowling Asst. Principal, Bunnell High $118,765 32 Elizabeth McGoey Principal, $118,765 33 John Conway Asst. Chief, Fire Dept. $117,887 34 Leonard Kowalski Shift Operator VII 3rd Shift $117,131 35 Brian Lampart Lieutenant, Fire Dept. $116,236 36 Diana Dilorio Principal, $115,371 37 Michael Camporiale Coordinator, World Language/ESOL $114,764 38 Martha Press Coordinator, Curriculum-Secondary $114,764 39 Monika Edman Coordinator, Pupil Services $114,764 40 Diane Christiano Coordinator, Career/Tech Education $114,764 41 John Popik Captain, Police Dept. $114,694 42 Brian Oliver Patrol Officer, Police Dept. $114,659 43 Kevin Lantowsky Lieutenant, Fire Dept. $114,155 44 David Mullane Corporal, Police Dept. $113,136 45 Robert Spiegel Lieutenant, Fire Dept. $112,522 46 Gerald Pinto Lieutenant, Police Dept. $112,151 47 James Singletary Asst. Principal, Wooster $111,979 48 John A. Harkins Stratford Mayor $111,769 49 Anthony Basso Highway Maintenance Crew Leader $110,617 50 Curtis Eller Sergeant, Police Dept. $110,550
I really can't argue with you anymore about this. It's a waste of my time. I would advise others to just stop fueling the fire. My final words on this subject. I do not disagree with police pay. I am not happy with the TOP 100. I know I said it 100 times. But, I do know why we are discussing average pay when the article is about top 100. An other poster made the same point and I agree with him or her. Take care.
Captain's pay is $85,000/year. But this debacle goes back to 2008: http://stratfordcharter.wordpress.com/2008/09/19/badges-of-honor/ "If I was arrested I would go to trial if I didn't do it." No you wouldn't. Not if you hadn't received a paycheck in three years and had a wife and small children to support. You'd take AR in a heartbeat. "If most of us were out of work for that long we would have lost our homes, been driving in junk cars. would have to downsize. Not these guys." Obviously you have never been out of work. You do what you have to do and do without almost everything else. "The pension will remain. They will be the highest on history here...for now." I have a;ready commented on that and it still remains to be seen. You seem to have a lot of people to blame except for the one who caused the whole thing: James R. Miron.
of accelerated rehabilitation does not furnish any inference of guilt or acceptance of responsibility, and, thus, there is no need to identify the various settings in which this impermissible inference conceivably could, but properly may not, be drawn.
disposition on any application for employment, licensure, or otherwise unless required to do so by federal law. . . . Pretrial diversion records shall not be introduced as evidence in any court in a civil, criminal, or other matter without the consent of the defendant. It is clear that the legislature intends for a successful pretrial diversion to, in effect, wipe the slate clean as to those charges. The legislature does not intend for the successful participant to be stigmatized . . . .’’ [Internal quotation marks omitted.]); Pizzillo v. Pizzillo, 884 S.W.2d 749, 755 (Tenn. App. 1994) (‘‘A valid reason exists for distinguishing between expunged pretrial diversion records and expunged judicial diversion records. Persons participating in judicial diversion programs have been found guilty of the offense for which they were charged. Accordingly, they no longer enjoy the presumption of innocence with regard to the charge. On the other hand, persons on pretrial diversion have never been found guilty. They retain their presumption of innocence because they have not been required to plead to or to stand trial on the charge.’’). Despite this well settled law, the defendant contends
I have been out of work. I almost lost my house and had to sell a car to survive. I didn't have organizations supplementing me. Thank god my kids went to public school. The DC received unemployment benefits as well for some time. They could have taken rehabilitation almost a year a year before, but chose not to, I guess the $$ problems weren't too bad. Do you think they had no $$$ coming in? well not compared to 300,000. I guess it was hard. If the pension is attached to this $$$ will you still blindly back these guys or start seeing the light that you too were bamboozled. I didn't like Miron either, but when its all said and done, People who leave under this Mayor will be for better compensated than anyone under Miron. Miron clearly has hurt you on some way, for that I am sorry. Try to look at things pragmatically without the hatred of Miron. Thats all Im gonna say about this. going back and forth is a waste of my precious time. Common sense people will see the point. I read below the law on ar. I understand the law. Common sense in different. Be honest if your neighbor was arrested and took AR on a burglary charge, would you let them house sit for you while you were away? Be honest. If you said yes, you are being disingenuous.
OH AND ONE MORE THING...NEXT TIME YOU NEED TO CALL 911 THINK ABOUT WHO YOUR CALLING BECAUSE YOU JUST BASHED ALL THOSE GUYS THAT MADE MONEY SAVING LIVES.
police on this blog patch ..... write about courage .... ANONYMOUSLY? I support HONEST POLICE. I support the CONSTITUTION. I support LEGAL LAWS and REGULATIONS. I support good and decent: PAY BENEFITS PENSIONS Some of these blog POSTERS simply OUT RIGHT LIE. Some of these blog POSTERS display IMMATURE TEMPERS, which are entirely inconsistent with the STANDARDS & ROLES which they project and legitimately EXTOL. There are excellent Police. There are Police who are a disgrace to the FLAG they wear. There are many people who are cowed by peer pressure, or indoctrinated into being against CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS and LEGAL EQUAL PROTECTION of the LAW. The Pledge of Alligiance states LIBERTY & JUSTICE for ALL... Not just the ALLIES of one group or the other. There is a Congressional Resolution of CODE of ETHICS for ALL GOVERNMENT SERVICE, which I will POST in the future. - It will shame some blog POSTERS who have a sense of SHAME. The OATHS of Office I took to join a Military branch and a Federal employment branch have differences, yet are confluent also. Instead of whining about "I GOT MINE" but less than what I am ENTITLED to actually earning or blathering and posturing, why NOT look at the reality of those who are supposed to be EQUALLY ....to protect and serve .... Some only serve themselves and political patrons. Mirror, mirron, on the wall
don't work 40 hours a week. I disagree with Some One about the Defined Benefit Pension which I believe: 1 - Was forged with both fraud and conspiracy. 2 - Some One has a relative among top 50 pensions Hypothetically, if Lawyers and Police scratched each other's backs, and looked the other way, with Political Parties using public assets as a long term carrot to cover up serial murders and treason .... If government workers and families exercized their legal right to vote, yet made the system so contemptable where legitimate choices on who to votes for who would actually correct corruption, is there some thing wrong when only 20 % vote and of those 60% have vested interest in maintaining capitalistic corruption? When police commit murder and cover up murder and corruption, where does one turn? Who among you would support people who harmed your family and who harmed innocents?
Legal term is called: misprison ARE THESE FELONIES? > accessories Before the FACTS After the FACTS To the FACTS > Obstruction of Justice Cover up, & R.I.C.O. > Perjury > Fraud EXTRINSIC fraud doesn't mean merely lying or perjury, nor misrepresentations, nor intrinsic fraud, nor "to matters that could have been raised during the proceeding." It must involve "collateral / circumstances" such as: "bribery: judge or juror," "fabrication of evidence by attorney," "preventing another party's witness from appearing," "intentionally failing to join necessary party," "misleading another party into thinking continuance was granted INTRINSIC FACTUM INDUCEMENT > Common law fraud has nine elements: representation of an existing fact; its materiality; its falsity; the speaker's knowledge of its falsity; the speaker's intent that it shall be acted upon by the plaintiff; plaintiff's ignorance of its falsity; plaintiff's reliance on the truth of the representation; plaintiff's right to rely upon it; & consequent damages suffered by plaintiff Blue Wall extends from Beef Eaters to Grass Eaters Includes what (book) "Rockefeller Syndrome" calls the "court house gang" = judges, prosecutors, police, defenders, jailers, administration - all of whom talk among themselves - KNOW E V E R Y T H I N G in court house jurisdiction. - DC+Corrupt1cut includes Senate/Congress-Justice/FBI.
- Do you have medical competentcy to call anyone paranoid, delusional, or any other qualities you assign to "defame & discredit me," while it's been "YOU" who have been mocked by other posters for your exaggerated, irrational, & biased backing of police. - I spent $ 400 running for Mayor. I used 50 signs left over from my 2007 Town Council campaign. I believe to be TRUE: - Harkins & Miron spent over $ 100,000 with over 1200 lawn signs Costello spent $ 40,000 & 1,000 lawn signs. - I had NO CHANCE at being elected. Only crazy people would think I had realistic chances at being elected Mayor. I'd like to be Mayor. I got into 6 debates. Consensus feed back: Miron won; I came in second, Harkins 3rd; & Costello last. Jimmy won debates, because of talking point and knowledge. Jim lost the election & Harkin won the election because Jim was well hated by Town voters, who didn't want repeats of Jim's election due to: Costello, Jon Best, Bill O'Brien, Tom Carroll, & I (2 votes) ;-) again spliting votes. > Further Police & Fire raised massive campaign against Miron for plausible deniability > people "like" Dick Miron(s), Tony Ross, Burturlas, Florek, Aldrich, Gilardi, & others (RTC/DTC) who created/ allowed Defined Benefit Pension, OT, Lawyer, Bidders, etc > looted Treasury. "Team Stratford" voted AVCO preferred vender EXIST: Decent & Bad Police + Conspiracies. Republican & Democratic platforms/acts: are forms of conspiracies
Mayor Harkins SALARY is $ 90,000. Yet taken from above Mayor Harkins was paid # 48 John A. Harkins Stratford Mayor $111,769 . Some One & I agree on certain things. Yet, didn't the last Town Council vote the NEXT ELECTED MAYOR'S PAY would go to ... $ 110,000 or $ 115,000? - - Mr. Harkins was endorsed for Mayor by Police & Fire How many of the TOP 50 PAY are Police & Fire? ABOUT 25 - ALL of whom can collect DEFINED BENEFIT PENSIONS - 1 Joseph McNeil Captain, Police Dept. $296,843 2 Orlando Soto Lieutenant, Police Dept. $293,954 3 Thomas Murray Asst. Chief, Fire Dept. $200,806 - Mr. Murray was stopped (until successful Law suit from being # 1 as the highest Pensioner & for awhile he and wife ex-assistant Stratford Fire Chief & hire Fire Chief elsewhere (suing Stratford) will have to get by on $ 220,000 house hold defined benefit Pensions) - Mr. McNeil & Soto, had to repay unemployment, yet if they earn $ 130,000 this year and then retire = Maybe $ 150,000 Pensions? - ex-Stratford Town Council Chair's company sold Stratford 3 Fire Trucks Huge Profit? - Anyone can count the above to see almost 1/2 top income are Education, but didn't include 1 - Superintendent Cornish? - 2 - Law Firms PAST 5 years - divide by 5 > see who's really making $: 1 Burturla = Berchem Moses: $ 2,691,753 2 Kelly/Bishop: $ 1,642,389 . 69 of TOP 80 DEFINED PENSIONS are Police & Fire. - Conspiracies don't exist?
decended from Medieval secret organization called "Beati Paoli." . Beati Paoli was the Sicilian version of Robin Hood & Sherwood Forrest. . They purportedly protected the poor. Most old Mafia NEVER allowed DRUGS! They weren't choir boys. They had more integrity than RANKING FBI / STATE or LOCAL POLICE, in my opinion. (DECENT COPS are not about to BUCK Police Chiefs or FBI or Military.) Old Mafia had more integrity than Lawyers and political parties, which that GRAND CONSPIRACY THEORIST Dwight Eisenhower warned about: 1 - Military Industrial (Narco-Petro, Political-Financial) Complex UNWARRANTED INFLUENCE Every HOME Every GOVERNMENT OFFICE Every BUSINESS - Like alleged Bilderbergers & Trilateral Commission, whose members are documented to fill every White House, since Nixon (Nixon created Tapes, which proved secret government existed) - 2 - SCIENTIFIC TECHNOLOGICAL ELITES Control Public Opinion - Again - Eisenhowers verifiable words. . Kinda like alleged "Illuminati" & "Fabian Society" supposely control Public Opinion and Arts. Combined these are like 6 million Free Masons who alledgedly infest Legal systems world wide. However don't Military Intelligence of USA, Britain, & France (directed by (Plantagenet) Normans-Anjou) have Technology, Money, & personnel to control EVERY CRIMINAL GOVERNMENT & ORGANIZATION? - World's Top 5 Weapons (& Drug) Traders: TOP 5 UN Security Council! -
While I disagree with much, but NOT all of Some One's posts, I support concept of being able to post (which were deleted). > Stirring the pot & creating cause for debate is healthy. It's the First Amendment. > I don't like it when honest + passionate positions are posted & deleted, even or especially if, they cause readers to react strongly one way or other. > Some One: * IS PASSIONATE! * Appears to HONESTLY BELIEVE * How can we debate HONEST ERROR or learn if I/WE are wrong? * Please DON'T delete HONEST BELIEFS. Board of Education dominates highest paid list of this blog string. However most of Education's PENSIONS are PAID by CT STATE. IMPORTANT DIFFERENCE: Most other Departments' personnel + some of Education's PENSIONS are PAID by STRATFORD "TOWN TAX PAYERS." Most money are paid? School Superintendent & Lawyers. (Please read above) Department heads aren't paid OT and don't make the above list. However, at least two of them are Government Pensioned. - I believe Police Ridenhour & PW McCarthy are from Danbury. - I believe Fire Chief may be GOV Pensioned. FYI: I believe Finance Director Susan Collier married to Stratford Fireman. Former Finance person Linda Loschiavo (pension computations among duties). Husband Joe: Police Deputy Chief. Both retired. Very COMPETENT, STRATFORD PENSIONED: BoE Pat Naylor & Husband . Pat Ulawtowski & Husband. Ellen & (soon) Tom Murray (both FIRE)
involved in Police & Fire personnels' work. It is a fairness and sustainability issue, per RATE of: PAY PENSIONS BENEFITS I think we agree LAWYERS, WALL STREET, LOBBYISTS, CONGRESS, BIG OIL, DRUG, and the PARTY INSIDERS are stealing the COUNTRY BLIND I've been about the only one standing up at PUBLIC FORUMS, writing LETTERS to the EDITORS and RUNNING for PUBLIC OFFICE using my own MONEY / TIME. While others ride public vehicles with TO PROTECT AND SERVE ... I've WALKED the WALK TALKED the TALK BALKED the BALK
PUT AN END TO INTERNAL INVESTIGATIONS! IF ONE LIES THE REST OF THEM SWEAR TO IT!!!!! REQUIRE THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION TO LOOK INTO CLAIMS OF POLICE CORRUPTION AND COVERUP!!!!
There are political police Grass Eaters, Meat Eaters, and Deceiters. US Justice website notes small airports are/were often used for cocaine traffic, even mentioning a couple of very well known smaller airports in our part of CT. Same Justice Department website mentioned there have never been arrests for cocaine traffic in those airports. Every place in the United States appears to have been places where there have been cocaine arrests but N O N E at small airports? - Profit potential? - Air Fuel costs? - Air Plane purchase cost? - Air Plane maintenance and storages fees? - Air Plane insurance? Police work with State Police, Homeland Security, FBI, FAA, DOT, EPA-DEP. Who guards the guardians? Where are the tropical cocaine & banana fields in CT, New England, & TriState? If Justice Department Website and literature alleges small local airports are likely points of entry for cocaine, but there has never been a bust of cocaine ... it makes one wonder? I am glad our Stratford Police Department have no jurisdiction in Bridgeport's Sikorsky Airport, in case anyone wanted to improperly infer allegations. Better police honestly work for legitimate O.T. However, not a single employee would have pensions over $ 25,000 a year if they contributed under 401 or Defined Contribution ... instead of the Defined Benefit Pension with Pensions higher than BASE PAY. 270 Stratford Pensions exceed $ 40,000-unsustainable
Not only did the mayor take the job he ran for election, knowing full well what the pay and benefits were when he did so. He should have also been full aware of ll of the "mess and bs" that comes with the job.