Lewis County employees take nine of North Country’s top 10 local pay spots

Lewis County employees held nine of the North Country’s 10 highest-paid local government positions during the 2025-26 fiscal year, according to the Empire Center’s What They Make 2026 report released Oct. 21, 2026. The North Country definition used in the report includes Lewis, Jefferson, St. Lawrence, Clinton, Essex and Franklin counties.

Jeffery Hellinger had the highest listed pay, at $265,978. Hellinger was chief financial officer of Lewis County Health System during the pay period and became the system’s CEO on Aug. 4, 2026. Gerald Cayer, the former CEO, was listed at $250,000; the health system had announced his planned retirement for Aug. 4.

Seven Lewis County payroll records showed exactly $250,000, the Tier 6 pension earnings limit. The Empire Center said the actual pay for those employees was likely higher. The county’s high-end payroll is driven largely by physicians and medical staff at Lewis County Health System, which provides hospital, primary care, specialty, rehabilitation and long-term care services.

The report covers gross pensionable earnings from April 1, 2025, through March 31, 2026. The figures do not include benefits such as health insurance or employer pension contributions. Job titles are not included in the New York State and Local Retirement System payroll data.

North Country payroll comparisons

The region had 8,723 local government employees with average pay of $47,999, the lowest average among New York’s nine regions outside New York City. Total local-government payroll in the region was $419 million, and 5.2% of employees earned at least $100,000.

Across counties, cities, towns and villages outside New York City, 179,222 employees received $12 billion during the fiscal year, an average of $67,037, the Empire Center reported.

Counting Lewis County and all of its towns and villages, local payrolls totaled $2,348 per resident. That ranked second statewide behind Hamilton County. Jefferson County had the region’s highest county employee average, at $59,682.

Watertown had the region’s largest city payroll, with $25.6 million paid to 466 employees, or $1,035 per resident. Its 148 police and fire employees averaged $88,319. Among departments with at least 10 employees, the village of Canton had the region’s highest average pay, at $92,953.

Where to review the data

The Empire Center’s payroll database, SeeThroughNY.net, includes 2025-26 local payroll information for North Country counties, cities, towns, villages and special districts. The Empire Center’s North Country report and statewide report provide additional comparisons.

The payroll information is compiled from data local governments submit to the New York State and Local Retirement System. About 400 local government employees outside New York City were paid more than $300,000 during the fiscal year, with most of those employees being police officers on Long Island.