Police lt. top earner in Swampscott for second year

To view the full salary list, see “Related Data” on the left.SWAMPSCOTT – Swampscott Police Lt. Thomas Stephens is the highest-paid town employee for the second year in a row, with $35,870.80 in overtime and $19,798.40 in detail pay for a total salary of $162,949.43.In addition, 13 of the top 20 town salaries of 2013 were members of the police department, with all but Police Chief Ron Madigan getting compensated for some amount of overtime or detail work.Madigan said a lieutenant?s retirement and a “significant amount of unforeseen injuries” resulted in the need for overtime.?It was extraordinary last year,” he said.Town Administrator Thomas Younger, the highest-paid Town Hall employee in 2013, had a $42,000 salary increase between 2012 and 2013, going from $90,965.88 to $133,120. Town Accountant Dave Castellarin said that was because Younger was not paid for a full year in 2012, having been hired in April of that year. In a controversial February vote this year, the Board of Selectmen voted 3-2 to extend Younger?s contract to 2017.Former superintendent Lynne Celli was the second-highest-paid town employee in 2012 at $167,694.84, and she was the top earner for the schools in 2013 at $143,767.23. Superintendent Pamela Angelakis said her almost $24,000 pay decrease in 2013 to was due to her transition to the part-time executive superintendent of special projects in February 2013.The second-highest-paid school employee in 2013 was former school budget director Edward Cronin. His salary went from $118,228.49 in 2012 to $135,487.84 in 2013. Acting Treasurer/Collector Denise Dembkoski said a majority of that increase was due to a $13,398 payout for accrued vacation time when he left his position last year.The top earner in the fire department was Lt. Remo Zimbaldi, who made $110,288.52 in 2013, including $27,816.96 in overtime pay. He is followed by Capt. Kevin Thompson, who made $108,354.72, including $20,347.69 in overtime pay, then Chief Kevin Breen, who earned $105,052.48.