Hamilton’s highest paid employees: I-Team Payroll Project

RELATED: Montgomery County’s highest paid employees

Three city employees were paid more than $40,000 in unused sick and vacation leave upon ending their employment with the city. They were a police sergeant, a fire lieutenant and a treasurer in the finance department.

An I-Team investigation this 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: Butler, Warren taxpayers on hook for millions in unpaid sick leave

Four of the top 10 highest-paid employees worked for the city’s electric utility. But the top earner was City Manager Joshua Smith, whose $217,676 gross pay — including a $28,780 bonus and $16,965 pension pick-up — made him one of the highest-paid city managers in the region.

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.

The five highest paid Hamilton employees last year were:

1. Joshua Smith, city manager: $217,676

2. David Schlueter, electric distribution troubleshooter: $172,500

3. Kevin Maynard, public utilities director: $153,151

4. Michael Perry, director of project implementation: $146,429

5. Craig Bucheit, police chief: $130,930