THE CITY’S chief executive, Jason Stilwell, who just completed his first full year working here, was the most highly paid employee of the City of Carmel in 2012, according to the salary survey released last week. A retired fire captain also did remarkably well, receiving a $116,573.01 check for unused sick leave and vacation time, and so did a firefighter/EMT who was paid $38,386.40 in overtime and $5,306.40 for working on holidays.

Unseating Carmel Police Cmdr. Paul Tomasi at the top of the city payroll, Stilwell received a total of $242,372.20, including $170,192.62 in pay, $6,322.05 for “miscellaneous,” $4,200 for his car allowance, $3,394.40 in vacation payout, $6,900 in deferred compensation and $34,866.13 toward his California Public Employees retirement. The total also includes medical, dental/vision, life and accidental death and dismemberment benefits, which collectively amounted to $16,497.

Tomasi, a sergeant in 2011, was the only city employee to break the $200,000 mark that year, mostly due to his $46,764.27 in overtime pay. In 2012, he was third, at $187,937.36, including $102,980.86 in salary, $23,254.57 in overtime, $7,138.08 for working on holidays, and $38,997.33 in retirement benefits.

Of the top 10 income earners in the city for 2012, eight were police officers, the highest paid being Chief Mike Calhoun, who received a total of $195,116.41: $123,383.04 in salary, $5,446.32 for miscellaneous, $4,644 for unused vacation time, and $45,482.73 for his retirement.

Coming in fourth overall was officer Chris Johnson, who got $181,250.47, including $91,872 in pay $33,374.50 in overtime, $5,833.08 for working on holidays and $34,604.37 in retirement contributions.

Sgt. Mel Mukai was fifth, at $179,332.63, including $106,176 in pay and the highest amount paid out for working on holidays: $7,352.64. Cpl. Steve Rana was sixth, with $166,525.43, including $93,282 in salary.

Assistant city administrator Heidi Burch came in seventh, with a total of $166,270.49, including $120,089.76 in salary, $6,834.24 in miscellaneous, $1,800 for her car and $4,881.60 in vacation leave payout, as well as $25,070.69 toward her retirement. Officer Jeff Watkins was eighth, with $162,526.38, which included $90,936.24 in pay; officer Jesse Juarez came in ninth, with $157,319.71, including 89,616 in salary; and officer Ken Shen was 10th, at $154,631.69, which included $91,464 in pay.

The city worker to receive the most overtime pay — $38,386.40, along with $5,306.40 for working on holidays — was firefighter/EMT Spencer Reade, whose total was $136,211.07.

Retired but still paid

Fire Capt. Mitch Kastros, who retired on Dec. 31, 2011, the day before Monterey Fire Department took over Carmel’s and absorbed CFD employees, showed up on the salary survey for 2012 because he was paid a staggering $102,964.05 for unused sick time during the course of his four decades with the fire department, along with $13,608.96 in unused vacation time. The only person who received more cash for not taking vacations was facilities maintenance manager Benny Martino, who retired last year, taking home $14,197.51 in vacation-leave cash out and $27,059.59 for unused sick time. He was a longtime city employee.

All told, taxpayers shelled out $6,754,082.66 for salaries and benefits, including $4,258,742.93 in pay, $72,985.65 for miscellaneous, $328,594.52 in overtime, $128,570.20 to those who worked on holidays, $59,982.17 in vacation leave payouts, $135,549.21 in cash-outs of sick leave, $631,593.49 for benefits and $1,084,125.53 in retirement contributions.

While the survey lists 77 employees, eight of those are Carmel firefighters who received some city pay while the merger with MFD took effect. Another eight are current and former city council members and mayors, who received medical benefits and stipends — except for Mayor Jason Burnett, who came it at the bottom of the list with $0, as he declined both.