A total of 172 local government employees in Martin County earned $100,000 or more in 2009-2010, a 5 percent increase from the prior year, despite a reduction in the ranks of the fire rescue workers whose pay reached six figures.

The city of Stuart had 33 workers whose pay topped six figures in 2009-2010, an 83 percent increase from 2008-2009 when there were 18, city records show.

There were also 33 Martin County Sheriff’s Office employees who earned $100,000 or more in 2009-2010, sheriff’s records show. That represents a 32 percent increase from 2008-2009 when there were 25.

Many other local government agencies across the Treasure Coast saw a decrease in the number of employees who made $100,000 or more in 2009-2010 compared to the prior year.

Sheriff Robert Crowder and Stuart City Manager Dan Hudson said they have not received any complaints from the public about the rise in the number of workers whose pay topped $100,000, which both blamed on the need to pay more overtime as a result of staff reductions.

“Most of what I hear from the public is that these guys ought to be making more because most people out there, I think, appreciate the fact we’ve got a pretty secure community and we’re trying to keep it that way,” Crowder said.

Crowder said he had to pay more overtime to more employees to make up for workers who left the agency, but weren’t replaced because he cut his budget by $1.4 million from the previous year.

So one of the by-products of reducing the tax burden was an increase in the number of workers whose pay broke the six-figure barrier, Crowder said.

All told, 386 local government employees in Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties earned $100,000 or more during the 2009-2010 budget year. That represents a decline of more than nearly 4 percent from the prior year when there were 400.

The reduction reflects increasing frugality by local governments in the face of a continuing decline in the real estate market that has in turn led to a reduction in property tax collections, several administrators and elected officials said.

Local governments cut personnel expenses by instituting pay cuts, pay freezes, furloughs, overtime reductions and tougher union negotiations for many government workers, officials said. Some older, higher-paid employees retired, clearing the way for lower paid workers, and some high-paid positions were eliminated.

“In these times we’ve got to do these things,” said Indian River County Administrator Joe Baird, who eliminated two department head positions. “The way the economy is nationally and locally with unemployment I think that people who are unemployed and having a hard time do not like to see a lot of employees making over $100,000 working for government, but they forget the credentials behind it and the years of experience.”

The city of Port St. Lucie, which saw a spike in the number of employees earning $100,000 in 2008-2009, registered the biggest decline in the number of six-figure earners in 2009-2010.

A total of 55 Port St. Lucie employees earned $100,000 or more in 2009-2010. That represents a decline of about 18 percent or 12 employees compared to 2008-2009.

“The public demands it, so it’s going to continue because that’s the public outcry,” said Port St. Lucie City Councilman Jack Kelly about the decline in six-figure earners. “When you have 15 percent of the people out of work and these guys have jobs and then they’re making that kind of money, you’re going to hear about it from our constituents.”

The St. Lucie County Fire District reported 59 employees were paid $100,000 or more in 2009-2010. That’s a reduction of more than 6 percent from 2008-2009 when the district reported 63 employees were paid $100,000 or more

The Martin County Fire Rescue Department saw a decline by nearly 19 percent in the number of employees earning six figures in 2009-2010 compared to the prior year, county records show. There were 74 in 2009-2010 compared to 91 in 2008-2009.

Fire Chief Joe Ferrara attributed the decline to the hiring of 33 new fire rescue workers, which reduced overtime pay for other workers, and the elimination of the assistant fire chief and two bureau chief positions.

“I expect to see further reductions as we move ahead,” Ferrara said. “I certainly recognize, and all of our staff recognize, the tight fiscal times we’re in.”

Overall, 93 Martin County Commission employees earned $100,000 or more in 2009-2010, a reduction by nearly 15 percent from 2008-2009 when there were 109, county records show. It was the first time since at least 2003 there was a decline in the number of Martin County Commission employees who earned $100,000 or more in 2009-2010 compared to the prior year.

“It’s a move in the right direction,” County Administrator Taryn Kryzda said. “I would anticipate that trend to continue into the next year.”

Top earners in Martin

Top 5 earners in local government in Martin County in 2009-2010:

$165,723: Cliff Appe, fire rescue bureau chief (former)

$158,122: Michael Moon, airport director (former)

$153,660: Gene Rauth, town manager

$149,020: Dan Hudson, city manager

$147,416: Theresa Padgett, fire rescue battalion chief (former)

$100,000 earners in Martin

Martin County’s local governments

Total: 1,880 full-time local government employees, 172 earned $100,000 or more in 2009-2010

Martin County Board of County Commissioners: 850 full-time employees, 93 earned $100,000 or more

$165,723: Cliff Appe, fire rescue bureau chief (former)

$158,122: Michael Moon, airport director (former)

$147,416: Theresa Padgett, fire rescue battalion chief (former)

$141,719: Taryn Kryzda, county administrator

$141,286: Scott Legg, fire rescue battalion chief

$141,028: James Worley, fire rescue battalion chief

$139,225: John Polley, utilities director

$138,792: Christopher Stabile, fire rescue lieutenant

$138,086: Joseph Beert, fire rescue lieutenant

$137,767: Wade Mallard, fire rescue battalion chief

$137,764: Kevin Kryzda, chief information officer

$136,839: Marc Ducote, fire rescue lieutenant

$136,601: Lowell Nance, fire rescue battalion chief

$135,649: Joseph Ferrara, fire rescue chief

$134,990: Horace Wiggins, fire rescue battalion chief

$134,576: Don Donaldson, county engineer

$133,509: Randy Spiegelhalter, fire rescue lieutenant

$131,652: Matthew Himes, fire rescue lieutenant

$131,531: Nicki van Vonno, growth management director

$128,641: David Zarker, fire rescue lieutenant

$127,282: Stephen Fry, county attorney

$126,982: Casey Hilton, fire rescue battalion chief

$126,643: Daniel Wouters, fire rescue division chief

$126,006: John Stipo, fire rescue lieutenant

$125,753: John Davidson, fire rescue lieutenant

$125,228: Larry Massing, building official

$125,054: Michael Lee, fire rescue lieutenant

$125,002: Karl Oneyear, fire rescue lieutenant

$124,460: Brian McGlothlin, fire rescue battalion chief

$124,404: Keith Colodny, fire rescue firefighter paramedic

$124,054: Ronald Walling, fire rescue lieutenant

$123,737: Robert Osterhoudt Jr., fire rescue lieutenant

$123,512: Jon Belding, fire rescue division chief

$123,430: Christopher Zambello, fire rescue lieutenant

$123,126: James Sorrells, fire rescue lieutenant

$122,915: William Topping, fire rescue lieutenant

$122,873: Matthew Fenex, fire rescue lieutenant

$122,840: Michael Stagmiller, fire rescue lieutenant

$122,761: David Graham, director of administration

$121,958: Gary Roderick, environmental quality manager

$121,499: Johnny Recca, fire rescue lieutenant

$121,451: Richard Wilde, fire rescue firefighter paramedic

$120,903: Krista Storey, senior assistant county attorney

$120,347: Dwight Caserta, fire rescue lieutenant

$120,085: Mark Bentz, fire rescue lieutenant

$119,795: John Richardson, fire rescue lieutenant

$119,584: Bryan Richardson, fire rescue lieutenant

$119,365: Charles Gordils, fire rescue lieutenant

$118,193: James Loffredo, fire rescue lieutenant

$117,517: Karen Warren, fire rescue lieutenant

$117,495: Roy Aufort, fire rescue lieutenant

$116,117: Thomas Shimanek, fire rescue lieutenant

$115,940: Rodney Robertson, fire rescue battalion chief

$115,778: Robert Udzinski, fire rescue firefighter paramedic

$115,704: Jonathon Cantiello, fire rescue lieutenant

$115,478: Kenneth Zottola, fire rescue lieutenant

$115,374: Wilfredo Rodriguez, fire rescue lieutenant

$115,116: Chrystal Haubert, fire rescue lieutenant

$114,939: David Acton, senior assistant county attorney

$114,926: Patrick Gallagher, fire rescue lieutenant

$113,894: Richard Demilt, fire rescue lieutenant

$113,469: Steven Czerwinski, fire rescue lieutenant

$113,206: Michael Harris, fire rescue lieutenant

$113,115: Chad Cianciulli, fire rescue lieutenant

$112,675: Kathleen Voneslinger, fire rescue firefighter paramedic

$112,335: Scott Button, fire rescue lieutenant

$112,087: James Ritchey, fire rescue lieutenant (former)

$110,853: Harry Ramsey, fire rescue lieutenant

$110,066: Brian Seymour, fire rescue lieutenant

$109,827: Stanley Hilton, fire rescue lieutenant (former)

$109,657: Richard Bellomy, fire rescue lieutenant

$108,749: Christian Montoya, fire rescue lieutenant

$108,067: Keith Holman, emergency management agency director

$107,877: Harry Bish, fire rescue lieutenant

$107,496: James Sherman, assistant county administrator (former)

$107,105: Martin Shell, fire rescue firefighter paramedic

$106,643: Bryce Currie, fire rescue firefighter paramedic

$106,346: Terry Rauth, deputy county engineer

$105,984: Robert McLendon, fire rescue firefighter paramedic

$105,809: Scott Schlawiedt, fire rescue lieutenant

$104,441: Richard Hunter, fire rescue firefighter paramedic

$104,342: Todd Tucker, fire rescue lieutenant

$103,627: Ted Robbins, technical services administrator

$103,493: Mark Marzucca, fire rescue lieutenant

$103,405: Paul Davidson, fire mechanic

$103,079: Harold Markey, general services director

$102,448: Denise Eldredge, project and services manager

$102,422: Jerry Rothgeb, fire rescue firefighter emergency medical technician

$102,242: John Blackard, fire rescue firefighter paramedic

$101,836: Paul Jones, fire rescue lieutenant

$101,088: William Greene, fire rescue firefighter paramedic

$100,581: Scott Webber, project engineer

$100,507: Sarah Woods, senior assistant county attorney

Martin County Sheriff’s Office: 509 full-time employees, 33 earned $100,000 or more

$136,440: Beverly Brame, captain (former)

$132,953: Thomas Bruton, sergeant (former)

$129,636: Robert Crowder, sheriff *

$127,819: David Sansone, deputy

$125,613: Marvin Mann, undersheriff

$122,412: Betty Duncan, deputy

$119,957: Janice Heitzman, controller

$118,387: Steven Chase, major

$117,653: John Pietruszewski, major

$116,057: Robert Seaman, major

$115,937: Robert Pryor, major

$113,886: Angelo Minella, deputy

$113,500: Christopher Conrad, detective

$108,570: James Warren, sergeant

$108,302: Monica Jensen, detective (former)

$107,903: David Findora, deputy

$106,045: Lloyd Jones, captain

$105,420: Casey Szparga, captain

$105,275: Mike McKinley, captain

$105,015: Dale Howard, sergeant

$104,915: John Wardle, captain

$104,770: Jeffrey Townsend, captain

$104,385: Edwin Kirkpatrick, captain

$104,205: Mark Neild, sergeant

$103,563: Bernard Hodapp, sergeant

$102,658: Patricia Oslager, captain

$102,524: Kevin Gannon, sergeant

$102,034: Robert Wilke, sergeant

$101,663: Rodney Vizzo, sergeant

$100,824: Anthony Stracuzzi, deputy

$100,753: Bruce Pinkman, sergeant

$100,735: William Dowdy, lieutenant

$100,500: Karl Nelson, sergeant

Martin County Clerk of the Circuit Court: 98 full-time employees, two earned $100,000 or more

$119,481: Marsha Ewing, clerk *

$102,011: Helen Staggs-Townsend, chief deputy clerk

Martin County Tax Collector: 65 full-time employees, one earned $100,000 or more

$117,481: Ruth Pietruszewski, tax collector *

Martin County Property Appraiser: 38 full-time employees, one earned $100,000 or more

$119,466: Laurel Kelly, property appraiser *

Martin County Supervisor of Elections: Seven full-time employees, one earned $100,000 or more

$101,000: Vicki Davis, supervisor of elections

City of Stuart: 233 full-time employees, 33 earned $100,000 or more

$149,020: Dan Hudson, city manager

$147,168: Paul Nicoletti, city manager

$138,919: Clark Campbell, fire rescue battalion chief

$136,193: Sam Amerson, public works director

$135,985: Dorothy Zaharako, financial services director

$134,855: David Cantrell, fire rescue battalion chief

$131,970: Troy Bowser, fire rescue lieutenant

$130,549: Lori Sunderman, fire rescue chief

$127,774: Edward Morley, police chief

$124,929: Albert Scoggins Jr., community services director (former)

$124,436: Marty Jacobson, police sergeant

$123,791: Mark Champion, fire rescue lieutenant

$122,806: David Lawson, fire lieutenant

$121,822: Michael Cullum, fire rescue battalion chief

$121,088: Brian Nethers, fire lieutenant

$120,659: John Taylor, fire rescue lieutenant

$116,854: Vincent Felicione, fire rescue lieutenant

$116,646: George Sumner Jr., firemedic

$116,246: David Sonzella, firemedic

$115,222: David Hutton Jr., fire lieutenant

$114,988: Brian Huffman, police master officer

$112,022: Joseph Hoffkins, building official

$108,749: Dennis Abell, police lieutenant

$107,655: David Dyess, assistant police chief

$105,864: William Spence Jr., fire support specialist

$105,256: Kevin Edwards, information services director

$105,107: Mary Nash, paralegal (former)

$105,083: Stephen Howard, computer systems operator (former)

$102,840: Wayne Duffy, emergency medical services support specialist

$102,645: Thomas Harmer, police lieutenant

$102,326: Steven Graff, police master officer

$101,842: Robert Allen, police officer

$100,006: James Egbers, police sergeant

Town of Jupiter Island: (68) full-time employees, seven earned $100,000 or more

$153,660: Gene Rauth, town manager

$146,540: Barry Pawlak, police captain (former)

$127,432: Richard Matthias, police sergeant (former)

$119,257: Shannon Dunne, utility director

$116,967: Ted Gonzales, public safety chief

$112,367: Jeff Newell, building official (former)

$101,808: Stuart Trent, assistant utility director

Town of Sewall’s Point: 12 full-time employees, one earned $100,000 or more

$110,869: Robert Kellogg, town manager

Town of Ocean Breeze Park: Two part-time employees, none earned $100,000 or more

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