PEORIA — Many of Peoria’s highest compensated public employees are members of the Peoria Police Department or Peoria Fire Department due to the large pensions public safety employees receive in the state of Illinois.
Of Peoria’s 15 highest compensated employees, 14 of them are members of either the Police Department or Fire Department and draw both six-figure salaries and six-figure pension compensation.
As part of its ongoing mission to provide transparency, the Journal Star is spotlighting the highest-paid public employees of municipalities that participate in the state of Illinois’ Municipal Retirement Fund.
These are the 15 highest compensated public employees in the city of Peoria.
1. Shawn Sollberger
Sollberger is Peoria’s fire chief. His salary for 2026 is $200,191.94. His total compensation is $439,592.39, which includes a pension allocation of more than $206,000.
2. Tony Cummings
Cummings is the assistant chief with the Peoria Fire Department. His base salary in 2026 is $183,759.42. Cummings’ total compensation rises to $405,963.64 with his $189,639.72 fire pension factored into the total.
3. Bradley Dixon
Dixon is Peoria’s assistant chief of police, but he is scheduled to take over as police chief following the retirement of Eric Echevarria later this month. Dixon’s base pay for 2026 is listed at $182,818.69. His total compensation with his pension factored in is $387,559.71.
4. Ryan Calhoun
Calhoun is a fire division executive with the Peoria Fire Department. His base salary in 2026 is $167,054.01. His total compensation, which includes his pension, is $376,176.01.
5. Roland Tenley
Tenley is also a fire division executive with the Peoria Fire Department. His base salary is $167,054.01 and his total compensation is $372,492.31.
6. Nathaniel Rice
Like Calhoun and Tenley, Rice is a fire division executive with the Peoria Fire Department who receives a base salary of $167,054.01. His total compensation is $372,492.31.
7. John Briggs
Briggs is a captain with the Peoria Police Department. His base salary is $171,310.98 and his total compensation is $365,182.98.
8. Erin Barisch
Barisch is a Peoria Police Department captain whose base salary is $171,310.98. Total compensation for Barisch is $365,182.98.
9. Eric Esser
Esser is another captain with the Peoria Police Department, making a base salary of $171,310.98. Esser’s total compensation is $365,182.98.
10. Thomas Stimeling
Stimeling is a battalion chief with the Peoria Fire Department. His base salary is $156,064.54, and his total compensation is $350,002.36.
11. Matthew Lane
Lane is a lieutenant with the Peoria Police Department. His base salary for 2026 is $156,584.83, and his total compensation is $336,547.98.
12. Michael Boland
Boland is also a lieutenant with the Peoria Police Department. His base salary in 2026 $154,994.54. Total compensation for Boland is $336,176.06.
13. Michael Johnston
Johnston is a lieutenant with the Peoria Police Department who makes a base salary of $155,806.22. The total compensation for Johnston is $335,033.97.
14. Patrick Urich
Urich is Peoria’s city manager. He has the highest base salary pay in the city at $233,557.26. He also received a $5,000 longevity bonus this year when the City Council approved a 3% raise for him. His total compensation is $334,749.32.
15. Chad Oberle
Oberle is a lieutenant in the Peoria Police Department who makes a base salary of $155,031.52. His total compensation is $333,527.57.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: These are the 15 highest compensated employees in the city of Peoria
Reporting by JJ Bullock, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
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