Fired, reinstated detective among Miami Twp.’s highest paid employees: Payroll Project

The second highest-paid employee in Miami Twp. last year was a police detective who received $86,621 in back pay after being reinstated on a judge’s order in November 2021 two years after he was terminated.

Township trustees fired Doug Hesler in 2019 at the recommendation of the Miami Twp. police chief, who said Hesler violated department policy and values and made “racially insensitive” comments to a female officer. Hesler appealed the termination, and a Montgomery County Common Pleas Court judge ruled he should be reinstated.

The ruling said Hesler should receive back pay for the difference between what he earned in Miami Twp., and what he earned as a Perry Twp. police officer where he worked while appealing the termination.

Miami Twp. paid 15 employees more than $100,000 each in 2022, according to the Payroll Project, an annual reporting project from the Dayton Daily News.

The police department had 12 six-figure salaries, which was more than any other department.

The township’s highest paid employee was Daniel Mayberry, who retired in 2022 as public works director and cashed out $111,160 in unused sick leave. Township administrator Ron Hess also retired last year and was replaced mid-year by current administrator Chris Snyder.

The voting and taxpaying public is the employer for government agencies. As with any other employer, the public has not just a right but a responsibility to know how much its employees are paid in the interest of good stewardship.

Go here for a searchable database of state and local government pay across our region.

The highest-paid Miami Township employees last year were:

1. Daniel Mayberry, public works director: $178,144

2. Douglas Hesler, detective: $167,478

3. James McCarty, sergeant: $127,991

4. Ronald Hess, township administrator: $117,535

5. Charles Stiegelmeyer, police chief: $112,147

6. Christopher McCord, finance director: $110,008

7. Scott Miller, sergeant: $106,084

8. Raymond Swallen, sergeant: $106,016

9. Paul Nienhaus, sergeant: $105,558

10. Michael Siney, lieutenant: $103,938