BIG BUCKS | Which public servants made the most money in 2020?
Apr. 17—The top public-sector earners in the area — not counting those at Kansas State University — saw an average raise of more than 5% in the 2020 calendar year compared to 2019. And the top 15 made more than $140,000.
That's according to an analysis of data The Mercury obtained through the state's open records laws. Each year around tax time, we compile information from city and county governments in the immediate area, as well as school districts and other public entities. In Manhattan, that includes the Kansas Department of Agriculture, Manhattan Area Technical College and the district court. We look for trends and anomalies.
The reason for the project is that employee pay is often the biggest part of a public entity's budget. And who foots the bill? Taxpayers. We think it's worthwhile to see where citizens' money goes, and this is one way to do that. Here are the area's top earners.
TOP NON-KSU PUBLIC SECTOR
EARNERS
Fifteen people in the public sector made north of $140,000 last year. Among those, the average raise from 2019 was 5.1%, excluding one outlier. Riley County Police Department Capt. Richard Fink saw a 63% pay bump from the previous year, from $115,061 to $187,055. That increase is largely because he retired in 2020 after 28 years of service, so in addition to Fink's salary the department paid for unused sick leave and vacation time. The RCPD didn't immediately have details on the increase.
We excluded his raise from the average, but the rest of the top earners saw raises ranging from 2.3% (Manhattan city manager Ron Fehr) to 12% (MATC President Jim Genandt).
That might seem odd because of reported pay freezes for some entities, but most of those were for the 2021 budget.
USD 383 Superintendent Marvin Wade again was the top earner in the area. He made $213,575 in 2020.
Fink followed, then Manhattan's Fehr, who earned $174,073.
Fourth was Clancy Holeman, Riley County counselor, who made $167,554. MATC's Genandt made $162,000.
Sixth on the list was Riley County attorney Barry Wilkerson with $157,861. He was followed by RCPD director Dennis Butler at $157,530.
Deputy city manager Jason Hilgers was eighth at $153,758. Public works director Robb Ott was ninth at $147,563. And rounding out the top 10 was Brian Johnson, city engineer, at $145,478.
The others who were above $140K? Riley County appraiser Greg McHenry, Riley County clerk Rich Vargo, county nurse practitioner Thereasa Stewart, city attorney Katherine Jackson, and assistant police director Kurt Moldrup.
TOP KSU EARNERS
Among K-State employees, head men's basketball coach Bruce Weber was the top earner at $2.5 million, closely followed by head football coach Chris Klieman at $2.4 million. Women's head basketball coach Jeff Mittie was third at $826,192.
Weber's pay dropped from nearly $3.4 million in 2019, when he received bonuses for the team's 2018 Elite 8 run.
K-State President Richard Myers, who earned $637,500, was next and was again the only academic employee to break the top 10. All the other highest earners were in the athletics department.
Football offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Courtney Messingham ranked fifth at $635,308.
Athletics director Gene Taylor is sixth at $590,423, but next year he'll climb the list and likely rank third. Taylor recently got a contract extension with a big pay bump. According to his previous contract, signed in 2017, he was set to earn $700,000, but now he will earn $925,000 in base pay for the 2021-22 contract year — plus bonuses up to $75,000 if teams do well.
The next two spots went to assistant football coaches. Defensive coordinator and safeties coach Joe Klanderman earned $526,827. Offensive line coach Conor Riley took home $454,462.
Strength and conditioning coach Chris Dawson, who's in charge of getting all of K-State's sports teams in shape, follows at $412,500. Football cornerbacks assistant Van Malone was 10th with $391,079.
Head baseball coach Pete Hughes didn't quite crack the top 10 at $380,250.
