CHICO — The addition of overtime earnings put firefighters and police officers in the position of the city's top earners in 2008.

According to salary information recently requested by the Enterprise-Record, 121 city employees made $100,000 or more last year with the addition of overtime earnings. Of those, 54 are firefighters, many of whom more than doubled their regular pay through overtime earnings. An additional 35 were in the police department.

The E-R's online searchable database at www.chicoer.com/salaries also added this week the 2007 and 2008 figures for Butte County employees.

The top wage earner in the city last year was City Attorney Lori Barker, who took in $194,654.98. She was followed by Fire Capt. John Probst, who earned $193,385.50 by working 1,567 overtime hours and earning $83,800.18 in overtime; Fire Division Chief Steve Simpson, who filled in as interim fire chief last year and earned an additional $20,390.32 in "special pay," at $188,262.89; City Manager Dave Burkland at $188,191.97; and Fire Capt. David Main, who worked 1,401.50 overtime hours and took in $75,252.63 in overtime pay, at $185,126.42.

The majority of the top fire earners also earned "special pay" for their work on special teams, where they receive additional compensation for the extra risk. Historically, many of the top overtime earners in the Fire Department earn a portion of it while helping out with other fires around the state or filling in for those out fighting. Area firefighters were also called to serve in last summer's Humboldt Fire and Butte Lightning Complex.

The city is reimbursed its costs and an administrative fee for the out-of-city and emergency fires. The Enterprise-Record requests salary figures each year, beginning with the 2006 calendar year after the California Supreme Court ruled salaries of government employees are public records.

Source: Chicoer - link