Payroll Project: Dayton’s highest paid employees in 2023

The city of Dayton paid 352 employees more than $100,000 last year, according to the Dayton Daily News Payroll Project.

The departments with the most six-figure pay were the fire and police departments, where command staff often make more than $100,000 and lower ranking officers and firefighters reach that amount with overtime totaling tens of thousands of dollars.

ExploreSearch public employee salaries: 5 things to know about our Payroll Project

The highest paid city employes last year were not paid overtime. They were:

1. Shelley Dickstein, city manager: $271,672

2. Joseph Parlette, deputy city manager: $192,902

3. Clielie Lofton, deputy city manager: $192,819

4. Kamran Afzal, police chief: $182,801

5. Barbara Doseck, law director: $180,514

6. Kenneth Couch, human resources director: $177,863

7. Frederick Stovall, public works director: $177,338

8. Gilbert Turner, airport director: $177,329

9. Eric Henderson, deputy police chief: $161,029

10. Jeffrey Lykins, fire chief: $173,014

ExplorePrevious report: Payroll Project: Dayton Mayor pay spiked 53% last year

The employer for government agencies is the voting and taxpaying public. 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.

ExploreDayton police officer received $67K, positive review, while under criminal investigation

Go here for a searchable database of public employee pay for local governments.

In Other News

Dayton firefighters rescue residents after cooking fire; 2 taken to...

Man, two dogs perish in Riverside house fire

County awards $473K in opioid settlement funds to community efforts

Jury finds Dayton man on trial for murder guilty of lesser charges

Dayton 2025 budget: Expenses may exceed revenue, requiring one-time...

About the Author

Josh Sweigart

Josh Sweigart is an investigative reporter at the Dayton Daily News. His stories have focused on government waste, fraud, abuse and accountability in southwest Ohio, as well as the statehouse and U.S. Capitol.