Which municipal official earned the most in Bellingham during 2023? Check our list

BELLINGHAM — Bellingham High School 's principal was the only woman among the top 25 paid municipal employees last year.

Principal Megan Lafayette earned $133,010.82 last year, according to data provided by the town after a Daily News public records request. In 2022, two women made the list — Lafayette and Mary MacKinnon, then the town's chief financial officer (she left last summer for a similar position in Duxbury).

Last year's top 25 earners were mostly comprised of public safety officials, with Police and Fire Department employees taking 20 spots. Rounding out the list were three Bellingham Public Schools employees and two town officials.

What did they make?: Bellingham town and school employees' 2023 salaries, overtime

Last year's highest paid employee was now-retired Town Administrator Denis Fraine , earning $211,280.27 (including $13,680 earned as interim administrator after his retirement too effect last fall).

Fraine was the only Bellingham employee to earn more than $200,000 in 2023. Fraine was second in 2022, behind then- Police Chief Gerald Daigle Jr., who retired last May after 39 years with the Bellingham Police Department .

Some employees qualified for the top 25 by earning overtime or detail pay. Last year's second-highest paid employee, Police Officer John Melanson, earned $112,096 in details and overtime alone, on top of a base salary of $79,955.

Bellingham's highest paid employees in 2023 (total pay)

1. Town Administrator Denis Fraine (now retired), $211,280.27
2. Police Officer John Melanson, $192,051.59
3. Police Sgt. Mark Auld, $181,820.33
4. Police Lt. Kevin Ranieri, $180,638.79
5. Fire Shift Capt. John Glennon, $175,956.58
6. Police Lt. James Russell, $173,606.80
7. Superintendent of Schools Peter Marano $172,887.08
8. Police Officer Timothy Joyce, $169,320.58
9. Police Sgt. David Ayotte, $167,234.36
10. Police Officer Richard Nummela, $164,772.82
11. Police Court Sgt. Christopher Padula, $163,494.59
12. Fire Lt. Mark Lister, $153,049.73
13. Police Sgt. Neil Russell, $152,894.16
14. Fire Capt. Daniel Donovan, $149,223.08
15. Building Commissioner Timothy Aicardi, $143,945.41
16. Fire Shift Capt. Brad Kwatcher, $142,150.80
17. Schools Director of Technology Michael Garofano, $137,471.35
18. Fire Shift Capt. Robert Provost, $135,471.42
19. Firefighter Zachary Rizzi, $134,579.68
20. Police Sgt. Kenneth Jones, $134,545.87
21. Bellingham High School Megan Lafayette, $133,010.82
22. Police Officer Scott Provost, $132,391.19
23. Police Officer Lucas Machado, $131,619.64
24. Firefighter Adam Carlson, $130,946.42
25. Police Officer Michael Claffey, $130,264.93

This article originally appeared on The Milford Daily News: Which municipal official earned the most in Bellingham during 2023? Check our list