Congratulations. About time someone broke down these salaries so people can see the base pay and overtime, etc.
HBT

Pretty well paid employees but you need high salaries to support one of the highest tax rates in NH. Let's not even think about the pensions and insurance costs that will force the middle class out of this town, but that might be what they want.

John, I'm confused... so we have a high tax rate to support with high salaries? Seems backwards...(sarcasm intended) We need to lower our tax rate to make Exeter more competitive for neighboring communities if we are to attract both industry and the people to build said industry. Its also interesting that the bulk of the high salaries are in public safely (namely police and fire, but I am happy that a grant was found for a large portion of fire overtime) and not in education... Do we have our priorities wrong here also? It would seem that our selectmen have no desire to trim the budget and all the more reason to get new blood on the board come election day next week!

Rather misleading headline:
"Most of Exeter taxpayers' dollars each year to go salaries for municipal and school workers"

The only "school worker" I could find on that list was the School Resource Officer, (which, of course, is a police officer).

Am I missing something, Mr. Claffey?

Nothing against the Fire Department, but 18 out of 50 of the highest paid municipal workers in Exeter work for the EFD, earning a combined $1,466,372 in 2012, an average of $81,465 per year. I'm like, "Whoa". Time to watch "Backdraft" with the kids.

The amount of overtime that contributes to these salaries is ridiculous.

Trim the budget is it time to privatize the ambulance service and possibly catch back in providing mutual aid to surrounding communities? Is this open for discussion with you (WALTER) my guess it is off the table.

Lots of comments regarding overtime in the fire department. The majority of overtime is directly related to emergency calls. Reducing overtime will impact response times for emergencies. Pure and simple, no overtime equals no one in the station for that second call. Better hope you're not that second in line. Now, let's look at the discretionary spending for fire and police. Discretionary spending (equipment, office supplies, etc.) is what's left after salaries, benefits, contracts and fuel. For fire, it is 7.81% (including some overtime costs) or $285,560 out of a $3,641,432 budget, and for police it's 4.36% $154,120 out of a $3,534,800 budget. Discretionary for fire this year included $16,000 for a lighting unit, which the budget recommendations committee cut, reducing fire discretionary funding to $269,560.

This comment came in on the Exeter Patch Facebook page:
"This has always ruffled feathers. If Exeter made it easier for some business or industry to come in to help coincide with the high taxes, that would help. And that is why we moved ... (we) couldn't afford the taxes."
–Patty Raymond Stewart

The people complain. But the people vote to approve the town budget. Sort of like intentionally hitting your thumb with a hammer and then complaining about having a sore thumb.

Mr. Claffey:
When will you be publishing a list of school salaries?

We are a town in which there is a large majority of liberal thinking residents. They dont care that taxes are outrageous. Small lot, modest home, 10k in property taxes. The school system isnt even as good as the residents and the real estate brokers claim. Quaint town, bloated municipal budget.