117 state Capitol employees earn more than $100K

Of the 424 political appointees and nonpartisan staff at the state Capitol, 117 earn more than $100,000 annually, an analysis of the latest salary data shows.

Vincent Mauro Jr., of New Haven, the veteran chief of staff for Senate Democrats, earns the most with a salary of $195,631, according to the data obtained by Hearst Connecticut Media Group.

Mauro, who declined to comment, has held the top-paying post since 2019, after Michael J. Cronin, of West Hartford, the senior lawyer for Senate Republicans, was arrested on felony charges for the alleged theft of more than a quarter million dollars from a GOP political action committee that he controlled. Criminal and civil proceedings remain pending against Cronin.

Two other top aides in the Senate Democrats’ office, Joel Rudikoff ($193,710) and Courtney Cullinan ($188,300) are among Capitol workers with the five highest salaries. Cullinan is the highest-paid woman in the government apparatus that includes hundreds of non-partisan research, IT experts, administrators and security officials.

Workers on the Capitol campus are about equally divided between the Senate and House political caucuses and nonpartisan staff, including policy analysts, budget experts and lawyers who draft legislation.

John Harnick, financial administrator in the Office of Legislative Management, which has a $74-million annual budget to run the General Assembly, including $52 million is salaries, is paid $188,381.

Most of the highest-paid non-partisan staff are veteran employees with years of experience, including Robert Wysock, chief legislative analyst in the Office of Fiscal Analysis, who earns $185,003.

James Tamburro, executive director of the Office of Legislative Management is paid $179,169. Alan Shepard, chief legislative analyst in the Office of Fiscal Analysis, makes $171,952. Neil Ayers, director of the Office of Fiscal Analysis, is paid $166,310.

The highest-salaried Republican staffers include Jason Welch, adviser for the Senate GOP, with a $182,938 salary. Another top Senate Republican adviser, John W. Shannon, makes $178,656. Jennifer Skehan, adviser for House Republicans, is paid $166,010.

The top members of the Democratic caucus in the House include Richard Baltimore, chief legal counsel, who is paid $182,108 and Franklin Perry, chief of staff, who makes $182,108.

By contrast, the starting salary for House and Senate members is $28,000 plus $4,000 and $5,000 in expenses, respectively. Committee chairmen and leaders are bumped to higher levels.

For instance, Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney, of New Haven, a lawyer who was first elected to the General Assembly in 1986, makes $39,270, including expenses and mileage. House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora, of North Branford, a businessman elected in 2006, makes $43,364, according to the state’s Open Data site.