Vandalia’s highest-paid employees in 2017: I-Team Payroll Project

Editor’s note: The Dayton Daily News I-Team is gathering payroll data for local governments across our region, as well as state government and higher education, as part of our Payroll Project. You can search Payroll Project data here. We are gathering payroll data for 2017 and will add it to the database as it is collected. If you have a suggestion for our Payroll Project, email I-Team reporter Josh Sweigart at Josh.Sweigart@coxinc.com.

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The city of Vandalia paid 14 employees more than $100,000 last year, one fewer than in in 2016, according to the I-Team Payroll Project searchable database of public employees.

RELATED: Dayton’s highest-paid employees in 2017

RELATED: Montgomery County’s highest-paid employees in 2017

Local governments make payroll with your money, which is why the I-Team has assembled and made available a searchable database of pay for public employees.

Vandalia’s highest-paid employee last year was municipal court clerk Karen Goffena, who retired last year and cashed out accrued leave to bring her gross compensation to $153,523 last year, compared to the $106,084 she was paid in 2016.

An I-Team investigation last year found the ability to cash out unused sick and vacation leave is a rare perk in the private sector, though local governments are on the hook for tens of millions of dollars worth of these payments.

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

Another of the city’s highest-paid workers, Police Chief Douglas Knight, announced this week he is retiring in June after more than 37 years with the city.

RELATED: Vandalia police chief to retire after 37 years with city

Vandalia’s 10 highest-paid employees last year were: 

1. Karen Goffena, clerk of court: $153,523

2. Jon Crusey, city manager: $136,527

3. Steven Clark, parks and recreation director: $120,991

4. Douglas Knight, police chief: $117,806

5. Chad Follick, fire chief: $115,951

6. Gregory Shackelford, assistant city manager: $115,536

7. Benjamin Walker, police sergeant: $114,191

8. Thomas Vallery, police sergeant: $113,323

9. Daniel Swafford, police lieutenant: $111,788

10. Robert Cron, public service director: $111,353

         

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