SCHENECTADY — The Schenectady County Sheriff’s Office faced staffing shortages last year, leading to significant overtime payouts for some of its members. However, the additional pay for officers in 2023 was slightly less than the previous year.
According to data obtained through a Freedom of Information Law request, three members of the law enforcement agency, which also oversees the Schenectady County Jail, collectively earned $283,550 in overtime pay in 2023.
Correction Officer James Dickinson more than doubled his base salary of $73,863 by earning an additional $117,192 in overtime. Similarly, Correction Lt. Michael Nealon and Patrol Lt. Michael Geraci nearly doubled their salaries, earning $83,952 and $82,406 in overtime, respectively. Nealon’s base salary was $93,713, while Geraci’s was $95,078, as per county records.
It’s not uncommon for the sheriff’s office to have large overtime payouts.
In 2022, five members of the sheriff’s office were among the county’s 10 highest-paid employees, collectively earning $605,046 in overtime pay.
Dickinson, Geraci, and Nealon earned $110,148, $136,424, and $83,062 in overtime pay, respectively, in 2022.
Erin Laiacona, a spokesperson for Schenectady County, stated that the sheriff’s office is currently dealing with several corrections vacancies. The county is attempting to address this issue through collective bargaining and adjusting pay scales to attract new officers.
Ray Gillen, the county’s commissioner of planning and chair of the Schenectady County Metroplex Development Authority, was the highest-paid county employee in 2023, with total earnings of $227,717.
Following Gillen, District Attorney Robert Carney was the second highest-paid with a salary of $215,369, according to county records.
Lance Harvey, a senior caseworker with child protective services, ranked third on the list. His gross earnings of $200,993 were boosted by $108,970 in extra pay.
Laiacona explained that Harvey’s increase in pay was due to his willingness to work overnight hours and weekends.
“Lance is a dedicated member of the DSS team who consistently volunteers for on-call duty during evenings and weekends,” she said. “On-call staff address urgent situations that arise outside of normal work hours, including conducting investigations when someone reports child abuse or neglect.”
Below is the full list of Schenectady County’s 10 highest-paid employees for 2023:
| Name | Total earnings | Base salary | Difference |
| Commissioner of Planning Raymond Gillen | $227,717 | $223,717 | $4,000 |
| District Attorney Robert Carney | $215,369 | $215,069 | $301 |
| CPS Senior Caseworker Lance Harvey | $200,993 | $92,022 | $108,971 |
| Correction Officer James Dickinson | $192,555 | $73,863 | $118,692 |
| County Manager Rory Fluman | $189,749 | $185,749 | $4,000 |
| Correction Lt. Michael Nealon | $183,165 | $93,713 | $89,452 |
| Patrol Lt. Michael Geraci | $$179,434 | $95,078 | $84,356 |
| Public Defender Stephen Signore | $179,037 | $172,037 | $7,000 |
| County Attorney Christopher Gardner | $178,240 | $178,240 | $0 |
| Chief Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Assini | $172,037 | $172,037 | $0 |
Agree It’s disappointing to see overtime pay decreasing for our dedicated Schenectady County Sheriff’s Officers. They work tirelessly to keep us safe, and their hard work deserves fair compensation.
Disagree. It is crucial to consider the bigger picture and understand the reasons behind the reduction in overtime pay before making judgments.