School Administrators, Police Top List Of Westports Highest Earners

WESTPORT, Conn. — Westport school administrators and police officers dominate the list of Westport’s highest wage earners for 2013, according to salary information released by the town and school district.

Westport Superintendent Elliott Landon was the highest paid employee overall in Westport last year.
Photo Credit: *File: Vanessa Inzitari*

by Vanessa Inzitari

03/11/2014 5:00 a.m.

After earning more than $290,000 in 2013, Westport School Superintendent Elliott Landon has the distinction of being the top overall earner in Westport among school district and municipal employees. Landon, who has led Westport schools since 1999, brought home a total of $290,418 last year.

Following Landon on the list of the town’s top overall earners is Police Field Training Officer Howard Simpson, who earned a total of $189,930. Police officers and firefighters are annually among the Top 50 earners on the municipal side. However, that’s because their total wages are a combination of base salary, overtime, holiday pay and other stipends. In many cases, they are also employed by utility companies, contractors and private citizens for outside jobs— which are not paid by taxpayers.

Of Simpson’s total wages, for example, $175,825 was paid by the town. The rest — $14,105 — was earned on outside jobs.

Tied for third on the list are school district administrators Lisabeth Comm, Cynthia Gilchrest and John Dodig, who each took home $179,841. Dodig is principal of Staples High School. Comm is director of secondary education, and Gilchrest is director of elementary education.

Here’s a list of the Top 10 overall wage earners of 2013: 1. Elliott Landon, superintendent of schools: $290,418 2. Howard Simpson, police field training officer: $189,930 3. Lisabeth Comm, director of secondary education; Cynthia Gilchrest, director of elementary education; and John Dodig, principal of Staples High School: $179,841 4. Anthony Falbo, police officer: $174,774 5. Ryan Paulsson, police sergeant: $166,916 6. Anthony Prezioso, police field training officer: $164,209 7. Kris Szabo, Coleytown Middle School principal: $162,524 8. Arthur Belile, police lieutenant: $159,541 9. Susie Da Silva, principal of Kings Highway: $159,188 10. Gary Conrad, town finance director: $158,926

A complete list of the school district’s top earners is available here. (Susie Da Silva's listed salary of $157,765 is an error. Her actual salary was $159,188, school officials confirmed.)

A complete list of the top municipal earners can be seen here.

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