The next time you get your Hurricane Water or Sewer bill and wonder why it is so high, we have the answer.
According to a 2006 salary list that PutnamLIVE.com obtained from the City of Hurricane, several utility employees make in excess of $50,000 annually, with one bringing in more than $70,000-plus benefits.
The highest paid employee for the City of Hurricane is John Thayer, the Wastewater Superintendent. His 2006 annual salary was $71,148.24. Water Plant Superintendent Charles McCallister made $59,512.18 and Utility Superintendent Ronnie Woodall earned $57,628.55.
R. Douglas Peak, the son of Mayor F. Raymond Peak, earned $28,797.60 as the Utilities IT Manager, but when you combine that with the $29,224 he earns as the city's IT Manager, Doug Peak pulled in $58,021.60 in 2006.
Hurricane City Manager Benjamin Newhouse, who doesn't live in the town, earned more than $60,000, according to documents obtained by PutnamLIVE.com.
But getting the entire list wasn't easy. Hurricane played games with PutnamLIVE.com first releasing only the salaies of city employees. We had to go back to the city with a separate Freedom of Information Act Request to get the utility salary list. Apparently some people at City Hall didn't want you to know that some employees are paid out of separate budgets, making it easier to hide what they really make. One of those employees is City Manager Ben Newhouse, who doesn't even live in Hurricane.
In January, Beth Lilly, the town's HR/Personnel manager disclosed that Newhouse is paid $61,425 annually. (see Newhouse Doesn't Live In Hurricane.) But when PutnamLIVE.com requested a list of city employee salaries, Lilly provided a list that says Newhouse only makes $28,350 annually. In response to a follow-up e-mail, Lilly reports Newhouse's 2006 annual salary of $60,637.56 includes his duties as City Manager as well as Water and Sewer duties of $32,287.56. Lilly reports Newhouse will make $61,425 in 2007.
Chief of Police Sonny "Joe" Sisk makes $48,350 annually, making him the highest paid employee on the police list.
Hurricane Mayor F. Raymond Peak makes $18,000. But he adds another $4,800 in salary as the Sanitary Board Chairman.
Code enforcement officer Jay Gibson's annual salary is listed as $41,787.
Each of the Hurricane City Council members make $2,400 annually. Council meets once a month. However, City Recorder Linda Gibson, who also sits on the town's council makes an additional $8,400, according to the list.
Linda Duncan, the police department's office manager makes $30,014.40 annually.
None of these salaries include medical and vacation benefits.
PutnamLIVE.com obtained the figures by filing several Freedom of Information Act Requests with the city. We are publishing the salaries of government workers as part of a series that we started with the list of state employees in February.
When we attempted to call Newhouse for comment about the salaries earlier this week he hung up the telephone.
For a copy of the Hurricane City Employees Position and Salaries list, and the utility list, please click on City Of Hurricane Salaries List.
