The highest city salaries traditionally have been held by school administrators, while overtime opportunities go to public safety officers with the largest payouts to retiring police and fire personnel.
That pattern was repeated in fiscal 2018 when retiring Deputy Fire Chief William Gould took the No. 1 spot with a combined salary, overtime and retirement payout of $312,663. Gould, whose father and grandfather were firefighters, was a 31-year employee with the New Haven Fire Department, working his way up the ladder to retire as a deputy chief. Of the 15 highest paid individuals in fiscal 2018, 13 retired, which triggers separation pay and other features that add to the total, city data show.