East Hampton Town payroll grew 5.2 percent in 2014

East Hampton Town spent $24.6 million on payroll in 2014, an increase of $1.3 million — or 5.4 percent — over 2013, with eight employees added to the 626-person workforce, a Newsday analysis shows.

The police department, with 118 employees — including part-time workers — accounted for 19 percent of the town’s workforce. Police employees were collectively paid $10.7 million, or nearly 43.5 percent of East Hampton’s total salary spending. The 50 highest paid workers in East Hampton were all from the police department, and 62 police employees made $100,000 or more.

East Hampton’s highest paid employee was former Police Chief Edward V. Ecker Jr., who retired at the end of 2013. His retirement, accumulated vacation and sick time and other contractual payouts in 2014 kept him at the top of the list that year with gross pay of $205,530. The second-highest paid was Ecker’s replacement, Police Chief Michael D. Sarlo, with $183,573.

Town Supervisor Larry Cantwell had a salary of $100,776 in 2014, making him the 66th-highest paid employee in East Hampton. Of the 15 town and city executives across Long Island, Cantwell ranked 12th in compensation.

East Hampton had one of the lowest ratios of overtime on Long Island, amounting to 2.32 percent of the town’s total payroll costs. The Town of Hempstead also had 2.32 percent of its payroll going toward overtime payments that year.

East Hampton also was the second-lowest in terms of the amount spent on overtime, at $570,059, behind Shelter Island. Police accounted for $350,162, or 61 percent of all overtime costs in town.

East Hampton had 287 union workers in 2014, making up 46 percent of the workforce, but costing $19.3 million — or 78 percent of the town’s total salary spending.

Nonunion workers numbered 339, making $5.3 million, or 21.7 percent of total payroll spending. The town had 286 part-time, seasonal and temporary employees — 45.7 percent of the town’s total workforce. They accounted for $1.9 million, or 7.6 percent of the town’s total salary spending.

The town has 32 appointed officials, including 14 part-time appointees, who collectively were paid $1.1 million. They include employees in the town attorney, town clerk and supervisor’s offices. The highest paid appointed worker was Town Budget Officer Leonard W. Bernard at $104,191. East Hampton has 23 elected officials, including seven part-timers, who collectively cost the town about $1 million.