Payroll Project: City of Kettering’s highest paid employees in 2023

The city of Kettering paid 197 employees more than $100,000 in 2023, up 16 from 2022, according to the Dayton Daily News Payroll Project. This is close to half of the 398 employees who made over $50,000 last year.

Close to 75% of city employees who made over $100,000 were part of the fire or police division. Here’s a detailed breakdown:

Credit: Ispiro Halabi

Credit: Ispiro Halabi

Matthew Greeson, the city manager and Kettering’s highest paid employee in 2023, made $236,431 in 2023. This is more than the $222,405 former City Manager Mark Schwieterman made in the final year of his contract. In January 2024, Greeson and all non-union workers received a pay raise of 2.25%.

Kettering’s firefighters’ union in November reached a tentative three-year contract with the city that includes 2.5% raises each year. Previous Payroll Project reporting found that Kettering’s firefighters are among the highest paid in the state.

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 Kettering employees last year were:

1. Matthew Greeson, city manager: $236,431

2. Jeffrey Greenup, fire captain: $171,031

3. Theodore Hamer, law director: $169,493

4. Steven Bergestresser, assistant city manager: $169,110

5. Douglas Panstingel, fire battalion chief: $157,903

6. Thomas Robillard, planning and development director: $157,545

7. Bradley Lambert, police lieutenant: $157,156

8. Kyle Denlinger, fire battalion chief: $156,618

9. James Lokai, fire battalion chief: $156,314

10. Mary Beth O’Dell, director of parks, recreation, and cultural arts: $155,268