5 Taunton employees earned more than $300,000. Here are the top 10 highest paid in 2023

TAUNTON — Which municipal employees made the most in Taunton in 2023? The Gazette analyzed salary data to find out.

As in previous years the Gazette crunched the numbers , the list of top paid city employees is dominated by members of the police and fire departments.

A total of 2,544 people were employed by the city in 2023 — including full-time, part-time and temporary staff, like substitute teachers and election workers.

The analysis doesn't include employees from the Taunton Municipal Light Plant. That will be a separate list.

Of the top 100 highest paid on the list, 85 came from police and fire.

And the top 30 positions all made over $200,000 last year.

Overtime pay and paid details — public safety and security assignments for public events and worksites, such as roadways — were big factors in the totals for the highest paid. Retirees on the list also get big payouts from unused vacation and sick time.

In 2022, four Taunton workers topped $300,000. In 2023, five of them did.

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Top 10 highest paid Taunton employees

1. Tim Bradshaw — Retired as fire chief in August 2023; earned $419,122 total, including $237,035 in unused sick time, $28,272 in unused vacation time and $14,136 in unused personal time
2. Joseph D. Ryan — Police officer; earned $394,871 total, including $181,402 in overtime and $74,152 in details
3. Paul H. Taber — Police lieutenant; earned $359,190 total, including $137,938 in overtime and $52,450 in details
4. Honorato M. Santos — Police captain; earned $307,570 total, including $12,925 in overtime and $101,266 in details
5. Steven L. Turner — Police officer; earned $300,766 total, including $5,121 in overtime, $113,032 in details and $46,444 in court appearance overtime
6. Eric P. Nichols — Police captain; earned $276,634 total, including $107,165 in overtime
7. Daniel J. McCarthy — Police captain; earned $276,582 total, including $19,793 in overtime and $64,313 in details
8. John P. Joyce — Police lieutenant; earned $274,769 total, including $33,627 in overtime and $71,152 in details
9. Jeffrey D. Martin — Police sergeant; earned $267,635 total, including $86,136 in overtime and $20,564 in details
10. Daniel P. McCabe — Retired as a police captain in 2023; earned $263,107 total, including $49,826 in overtime and $2,797 in details

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Other notable entries

• Police Chief Edward Walsh, coming in as the 13th highest paid, earned a total of $241,264 in 2023.
• Fire Lt. Gregory Galligan , who retired in December 2023, came in as the 14th highest paid, earning $236,990 total, including $37,023 in overtime, $69,299 in unused sick time and $23,749 in unused vacation time.
• Superintendent of Schools John Cabral was number 20 on the list at $216,967
• Fire Chief Steven Lavigne , who was promoted from captain in August 2023, was number 28 on the list, earning a total of $201,339, including $32,226 in overtime.
• Deputy Fire Chief Eric Dumont came in just behind Lavigne, at number 29 on the list, earning a total of $200,339, including $42,492 in overtime — making him the highest paid deputy fire chief in Taunton.
• No. 37 – Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction for Taunton Public Schools Christopher Baratta came in number 37, earning $194,042.
• Assistant Superintendent for Finance & Operations for Taunton Public Schools Brenda Moynihan came in just behind Baratta, at number 38 on the list, earning $185,187.
• Number 56 on the list is Taunton's Chief Financial Officer Patrick Dello Russo at $176,538.
• Taunton Mayor Shaunna O’Connell came in at number 193, earning $125,500.

The City Council, at the end of 2022, approved a 6% salary increase for the mayor's position , raising it to $133,048, but that won’t take effect until 2024.

This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: 5 Taunton employees earned more than $300,000. Here are the top 10 highest paid in 2023