Shelter Island has LI’s smallest town payroll, data show

Shelter Island spent $4.8 million on its municipal employees in 2016, the smallest spending among Long Island towns, according to a Newsday review of town and city payroll data documents.

The top nine highest-paid employees in the small East End town were all members of the Shelter Island Police Department. That pattern mirrors those in other municipalities that maintain their own police departments.

Shelter Island Police Chief James Read was the town’s highest-paid employee in 2016, making $209,005, records show. His base pay was $182,292. While the chief didn’t collect any overtime, his total compensation included accrued time off and sick time, Town Supervisor James Dougherty said.

Dougherty was paid $86,749 last year, while Town Clerk Dorothy Ogar made $83,410, records show. Superintendent of the Highway Department Jay L. Card Jr. was paid $79,590 last year.

The town’s 2016 payroll of $4,845,239 remains by far the smallest on Long Island for the five years Newsday has collected and analyzed town and city payroll data. Shelter Island has a population of roughly 2,400 residents, according to the census.

The town had three fewer employees last year — 129 — than in 2015.

Dougherty attributed the payroll increase to 2 percent raises given to union and nonunion workers.

“The raises for nonunion workers were voluntary,” the supervisor said, while the union raises were required under the town’s contract.

Shelter Island paid a total of $208,667 in overtime last year, records show, less than the $246,324 in 2015 but more than the $197,515 in 2014.

Dougherty took credit for the drop in overtime, saying the town made a collective effort to appropriately staff special events and weekend festivals.

Police Sgt. Jack Thilberg was paid the most overtime among town employees last year with $37,252, the data show. Officer James Cronin was next with $16,470, documents show.