In Gahanna, 2025 was another year when public safety jobs ruled the city’s paycheck ladder. Fresh payroll records show that lieutenants and sergeants largely packed the top of the earnings list, with Lt. Ethan Moffitt pulling in $203,746 and Lt. Chad Cohagen close behind at $196,094. Sgt. Michael Gray ($172,738), Sgt. Phillip Stacy ($169,050) and Police Chief Jeffrey Spence ($166,830) rounded out the top five. For a suburb of about 35,726 residents, the totals offer a clear snapshot of where a big slice of taxpayer money landed last year.
Where the numbers came from
The figures come from a payroll database assembled by The Columbus Dispatch, which obtained 2025 pay records through public records requests and then used AI tools to clean up and standardize the data. According to the Dispatch, the totals reflect gross pay and “include salary, bonus, overtime, severance pay and stipends.” That helps explain why first responder pay can shoot well above base salary in a given year. The project is part of a broader regional effort to post searchable 2025 payrolls for cities, school systems and other public agencies.
Why public-safety pay often leads municipal lists
Across Ohio and around the country, reporting has repeatedly shown that overtime, off-duty "detail" shifts and contract terms often push police and fire employees to the top of public pay rolls. As Police1 reported, Cleveland police officers logged roughly $27 million in overtime in 2025, with dozens of officers more than doubling their yearly income through extra hours. Local payroll aggregators such as GovSalaries show a similar pattern for Gahanna, where supervisors and specialized roles consistently appear near the top of annual earnings lists.
What residents should know
For residents trying to make sense of the numbers, a key detail is that these are gross pay totals, not just base salaries. A single year’s figure can be padded by overtime, stipends or one time payouts that will not necessarily repeat. The U.S. Census Bureau places Gahanna’s population at roughly 35,726, which helps put the city’s payroll in perspective. City budget documents are publicly posted online for anyone who wants to see how personnel expenses fit into the broader operating budget.
Where to look and who to ask
The Columbus Dispatch offers a searchable payroll tool that lets users scan 2025 entries by agency, employee name or job title. Inside City Hall, the finance office can field questions about classifications, pay categories and how those numbers land in the annual budget. For official records or clarification on particular line items, residents can contact Gahanna Finance at City Hall, and the department posts budgets and reports on its Gahanna Finance page.
