NORTH KINGSTOWN — In mid-2006 Cynthia J. Olobri came out of retirement to help run the town.

As interim town manager, she prepared a no-frills budget (she ran the finance department for 20 years, after all) and earned a tidy $120,992.06 for both jobs, making her the top wage earner that year.

Her pay included $49,000 in unused sick and vacation time from her job as finance director.

For six months, she worked on a new budget during a hectic election year. “They got their money’s worth,” said the 56-year-old numbers cruncher, who now works part time for South Kingstown’s finance department.

Outgoing town manager Richard Kerbel made less — $97,750.61 — but also worked fewer months. In August 2006 Kerbel took a manager’s job in Coventry. A year later, he became chief of administration for Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline, earning $135,000 a year.

The former managers are among the top 10 wage-earners in the 2006 calendar year, according to a Journal study.

Police officers and fire fighters round out the list, in part because of overtime pay and other staff work.

The Journal compiled the list as part of a statewide look at school and municipal payrolls. Figures were given to the newspaper by local school and town officials.

The state Open Records Law requires public agencies to make available certain information about their employees, including names, job titles and pay. The Journal’s compilation looked at the total gross pay, which is the total amount paid to employees before taxes are deducted. It does not include the cost of benefits, but it does include base salary or wages, along with other forms of pay — overtime, stipends and severance packages.

James L. St. Jean, a rescue lieutenant with the Fire Department, was the second-highest-paid employee in North Kingstown in 2006, earning $106,712.14.

Earning slightly less than St. Jean were Patrick Campion and John P. Pierson, both deputy fire chiefs.

The two deputies are near the top of the department’s pay scale. But they and St. Jean were able to earn more than Chief David Murray because of overtime and other work.

St. Jean’s base pay, for instance, was about $52,000 in 2006. But he also worked for the state fire marshal’s office on his days off, said Murray.

Campion and Pierson also picked up extra staff work, Murray said. Campion worked with companies that store hazardous materials, and Pierson repaired fire alarm pull boxes, he said.

“They had loads of overtime,” in part because of an informal hiring freeze, Murray said. That has changed. In the last two years the department has hired a dozen new employees, he said.

Three patrol officers also made the list, earning just over or just under $100,000: Kevin Darcy, Travis, F. Maiato and David M. Harris.

“I usually work both my days off” on road jobs or additional shifts, said the 43-year-old Darcy, who earned just over $102,000. “My wife doesn’t work, so it helps.”

Top patrol officers earn a base salary of around $55,000, but all three men worked overtime or on their days off, said Police Chief Edward Charboneau.

Often they worked on road details, where officers monitor traffic and protect crews at construction or repair sites. “They worked a ton of road jobs,” Charboneau said.

The road work — paid for by companies and agencies such as Verizon, National Grid or the state Department of Transportation — is good for both the officers and the town, said Charboneau.

The companies pay about $40 an hour for such work. The officer gets $35 and the town gets $5. The companies also pay $50 an hour for a police car at the site. Said Charboneau, “It’s a money producer for the town.”

Also on the list of North Kingstown’s top-paid employees are Rescue Capt. Jonathan E. Frey and police Detective Robert W. Hazard, who both earned more than $90,000 in 2006.

Compiled by Paul Edward Parker

THE PROVIDENCE JOURNAL

Source: North Kingstown School Dept.

Compiled by Paul Edward Parker

THE PROVIDENCE JOURNAL

Source: Town of North Kingstown

pdavis@projo.com