Mary Byrne
Bringing home $310,000 last year, former school Superintendent John Phelan was the town’s top earner in 2023 by nearly $100,000.
Phelan, who retired in November 2023, negotiated a contract in 2020 that started him at a salary of $232,384, with opportunities for cost of living increase and retention benefits. The same contract also provided Phelan his annual vacation time at the start of each fiscal year, according to School Committee executive session minutes from June 30, 2023.
Per his contract, those benefits and other stipends, totaling $75,820, were ultimately paid out in 2023, according to Belmont Public Schools Director of Finance, Business and Operations Anthony DiCologero. This amount was accounted for in the development of the FY24 budget.
According to the same executive session meeting minutes, Attorney Colby Brunt said that despite differences in opinion on the interpretation of Phelan’s contract, specifically related to benefits, the School Committee’s hands were tied, as it had been past practice for administrators to have all vacation days available to them on July 1, and Phelan was “seeking all the benefits of the contract he negotiated.”
An amendment was made to the original contract to reflect his new title as associate superintendent, for which he was expected to act in an advisory capacity until his final day on Nov. 30.
It was noted in the same meeting minutes that the contract for Superintendent Jill Geiser, who assumed the role on July 1, 2023, was not structured in the same way as Phelan’s. According to her contract, Geiser was offered $211,000 as a starting salary plus the option to buy back up to five unused vacation days per year.
The town’s next top-paid official was Belmont Light General Manager Craig Spinale, earning $232,893 in 2023, and Police Lt. Christopher Donahue, who brought home $223,831, $45,481 of which was earned in overtime, according to employee payroll records.
A majorityof the $143.6 million fiscal year 2023 budget, which began July 1, 2022, and ended June 30, 2023, accounted for compensation and benefits. The same was true for the budgeted $153.4 million FY24 budget, which began July 1, 2023, and ends on June 30, 2024.
Following closely behind Donahue was Town Administrator Patrice Garvin, at $222,741, and Police Lt. Shiraz Banosian at $221,534, $28,371 of which was earned in overtime. Both Donahue and Banosian were noted as having 10 years of service to the town.
Rounding out the top 10 earners was Police Chief James MacIsaac, earning $205,736 in 2023.
The town had 1,629 municipal employees on payroll in the 2023 calendar year.
