School Superintendent cops top spot on 2007 Lynnfield salary list

LYNNFIELD – Lynnfield Police Captain Joseph Dunn was knocked from the top spot on the town’s list of top salary earners for 2007. Taking his place was Superintendent of Schools Richard Palermo, who earned $152,408.With a drop in overtime and other earnings Dunn’s salary Dunn earned about $12,000 less, earning just more than $141,000. His rank dropped from first to third, below Lynnfield’s highest paid police patrolman Sean Kilroy, who raked in nearly $143,181 with the help of overtime and detail work.Police and Fire Chief Paul Romano came in at eighth on the list with a combined income of $120,108. In 2006, he earned approximately $8,000. His wife, Anne Romano, who worked as a dispatcher for the Police and Fire Department, as well as an EMT, earned $108,789 in 2007, landing her in the 14th spot.Sixteen police department employees placed in the top 50, while only seven members of the fire department (in addition to Romano) made the cut. Firefighter Steve Allison was the first to grace the pages at ninth place, making $118,123.Twenty four school employees made the top 50, half of which are teachers. Craig Stone, a physical education teacher at the Summer School, held his position at number 20, making him the highest paid of his peers with a gross salary of $96,989. In 2006, he earned $92,952.Public school principals in the top 50 include Lynnfield High Principal Robert Hassett, $112,770, up from $104,588 in 2006. The high school’s Vice Principal Robert Cleary also saw a increase of roughly $3,436, bringing him up to $101,229.Lynnfield Middle School Principal Stephen Ralston earned $99,913 and Jane Tremblay, principal of the Summer Street School earned $97,824.Town Administrator Bill Gustus bumped up a spot to No. 7 earning $121,775. He joins two other Town Hall employees who made the list, Department of Public Works Director Dennis Roy ($93,619) and DPW general foreman Mark Rogers ($76,041).With 187 town employees, Lynnfield dished out a total of $13,466,972 on salary checks alone.