March 24, 2009
2008 NYS payroll on line
SeeThroughNY.net, the Empire Center's government transparency web site, has posted the entire New York State payroll for the executive, legislative and judicial branches for 2008.
The searchable database lists names, titles, base pay rates and total pay of 367,732 people on the payroll at some time during the calendar year, including seasonal employees.
An analysis of the payroll shows that 833 employees--including overtime and other extra pay--earned more than the Governor's salary of $179,000.
An examination of the 50 highest earners in the three branches of government--and higher education--offers insight into state government priorities.
For example: - The highest paid employees work for SUNY Downstate Medical Center. They are: Stephen Onesti, chairman of the neurosurgery department, and Wilson Ko, chief of cardiothoracic surgery. Onesti took home $947,463 and Ko was paid a total of $817,116 in 2008.
- In the Executive Branch, 47 of the top 50 earners work for the Office of Mental Health. Most are psychiatrists. The highest paid is Byung O. Kim in the Central New York Psychiatric Center, who made a total of $242,551.
- The second highest and 10th highest paid Executive Branch employees work for the state Comptroller: Nicholas Smirensky, coordinator of public authority programs, $234,862 (annual rate of December 31: $236,900) ; and Raudine Etienne, deputy comptroller, $216,063 total (annual rate as of December 31: $234,862). The Education Commissioner ranks number 32 at $202,482 in total pay.
- In the Judiciary, Chief Judge Judith Kaye's pay of $156,000 ranked her only 13, trailing Acting Supreme Court Justice Michael Dwyer, based in Utica, who earned $205,084. Brooklyn Court reporter Rose M. Polo, whose base salary is $91,184, earned a total of $163,894.
- Among legislative employees, the top 12 worked for Senate Republicans, who lost control of the majority after November's election. The highest paid, Steven Boggess, earned $192,710, has since retired.
SeeThroughNY.net also provides a searchable payroll databases for New York City's municipal government and for 19 state public authorities, including the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Also posted are teacher union and superintendent contracts for 733 school districts, legislative pork barrel member items, and legislative office spending. The website has attracted more than three-quarters of a million unique visitors since it was launched on July 31, 2008, with searchable databases including the state payroll as of May 2008, which did not include overtime and extras.
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