Overtime pushes police officers to top of city’s highest paid
Seven of the 10 highest-paid Baltimore city employees during the last fiscal year were police officers, continuing a long-running trend in which overtime boosts salaries considerably, according to new data released by city government.
While Police Commissioner Kevin Davis was the only police employee whose salary ranked in the top 10, lower-ranked employees were able to more than double their compensation through overtime.
Fifteen of the top 20 earned from July 2016 through June 2017 worked for the Police Department.
The highest-paid was Police Sgt. William Harris Jr., who earned nearly $245,000 on a salary of about $97,000. The 28-year veteran works in the Special Operations Division, which includes the police SWAT team.
State’s Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby was the second-highest-paid with a salary of nearly $239,000. Police Lt. Mark A. Walrath was third with pay of about $230,000 on a salary of about $111,000.
Police Lt. Brian S. Rice was fourth, taking home pay of about $223,000 — much of it due to back pay he received after he was acquitted of manslaughter, misconduct and other charges in the death of Freddie Gray. Rice received about $127,000 in back pay in August after earning $0 the previous year.
The data did not include two top earners who are members of Mayor Catherine Pugh’s Cabinet, because they run organizations that are independent from the municipal government.
City schools CEO Sonja Santelises makes $298,000. Al Hutchinson, the head of the quasi-public tourism agency Visit Baltimore, earns $333,000.
Frank Johnson, the city’s new information technology director, receives a salary of $250,000. But he was not listed as a top earner because he did not start work until after the end of the fiscal year in July. Pugh’s salary is $176,000. 1. Police Sgt. William Harris Jr., $244,913.70 2. State’s Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby, $238,772.04 3. Police Lt. Mark A. Walrath, $230,143.54 4. Police Lt. Brian S. Rice, $222,834.47 5. Health Commissioner Leana Wen, $207,928.63
6. Police Officer Rafiu Makanjuola, $206,320.68
7. Police Commissioner Kevin Davis, $205,015.47
8. Finance Director Henry Raymond, $204,172.96
9. Police Lt. Ettice Brickus, $203,130.43
10. Police Sgt. Kimberly A. Swinton, $200,452.50 11. Police Officer Eric L. Green, $198,535.74 12. Police Officer Clarence Grear, $195,262.00
13. Police $192,917.71
14. Human Resources Director Mary Talley, $191,166.01 15. Fire Chief Niles Ford, $189,300.12 16. Police Lt. Dwayne L. Swinton, $188,554.11
17. Police Sgt. Thomas E. Wilson III, $187,037.97 18. Police Sgt. Alicia L. White, $185,018.96 19. Police Sgt. Marc J. Camarote, $184,662.64
20. Police $182,761.89 Sgt. Lamacairos E. Taylor, Sgt. Charles T. Schmidt,