I-Team Payroll Project: Greene County’s highest paid employees

Greene County’s highest paid employee last year cashed out $48,137 in unused sick and vacation leave, pay, an option available to few in the private sector.

That county’s highest payout recipient last year was Deborah Capuano, a director of adult services at the Greene County Board of Developmental Disabilities. She retired after more than 30 years of service with 362 hours of vacation and 480 hours of sick leave at $57.17 per hour. Her gross pay was $163,293.

An I-Team investigation found that taxpayers are on the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars to public employees in accrued sick and vacation leave.

SPECIAL REPORT: Taxpayers on hook for $444M in unused state worker leave

Greene County’s total liability for unused employee leave is more than $5 million. Most employees can rack up 600 hours of vacation, but only 120 days of sick leave, which is paid out at 50 percent after 30 years of service.

Capuano was also one of four of the county's top paid workers employed by the developmental disabilities board, according to the searchable I-Team Payroll Project database. 

Greene County’s 10 highest paid employees last year were: 

1. Deborah Capuano, director of adult services at developmental disabilities: $163,293

2. John La’Rock, developmental disabilities superintendent: $148,439

3. Frank Latona, finance director at developmental disabilities: $143,667

4. Deborah Leopold, director of environmental services at health department: $129,335

5. Stephen Haller, county prosecutor: $115,703

6. Brandon Huddleston, county administrator: $114,823

7. Jill La’Rock, director of community services at developmental disabilities: $110,520

8. Dennis McManes, court logistics coordinator: $108,539

9. Arthur Siddell, assistant public defender: $108,451

10. Ronald Volkerding, director of sanitary engineering: $103,516

MORE FROM THE PAYROLL PROJECT: 

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