While many residents were struggling to pay bills last year, some of the highest-paid employees of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County had unusual pay increases in 2020. Mayor/CEO David Alvey and county commissioners didn’t respond to the Sentinel’s request for comment.
As explained in our review of Johnson County pay increases, the amounts listed below include salary, hourly wages, bonuses, overtime, sick leave and vacation payouts, and other compensation but not benefits. Gross pay increases were artificially inflated by having 27 pay periods in 2020 compared to 26 pay periods in 2019, so the numbers in Net Change 26 Pay factor out the extra pay period.
A few of the highest-paid employees earned less on a 26-pay basis, including Wyandotte County Administrator Doug Bach.
Employees with double-digit increases include Deputy Police Chief Michael York (12.7%), Patrol Officer John Turner (67.9%), Deputy Fire Chief John Droppelmann (12.6%), Deputy Fire Chief Jeffrey Stroud (12.4%), and Assistant Fire Chiefs Scott Hawley and James Zeeb (12.4% and 12.1%, respectively.)
Six other highest-paid employees had increases between 4.9% and 9.3%. Detention Deputy Jonathan Strader was paid $163,378 including more than $96,000 in overtime, for a net increase of 7.7%.
Incidentally, data just received from the Kansas Department of Revenue shows Wyandotte County officials imposed a 5.7% property tax increase in 2020.
The complete payroll listing for all Wyandotte County employees is at KansasOpenGov.org. KansasOpenGov is operated by the Sentinel’s owner, Kansas Policy Institute.