City's Overtime Bill May Be $50-140 Million Higher

The city tries to project what overtime costs will be, but apparently the projections are way off. The Daily News reports, "The city is set to bust its budget on overtime for cops, firefighters and other uniformed workers, spilling anywhere from $50 million to $140 million in red ink, fiscal monitors are warning." And the biggest chunk is from the NYPD, "with the department's overtime growing each year." Well, those street fairs aren't helping!

A state control board thinks the city's overtime bill will be $140 million higher than expected this fiscal year (it just started July 1), while City Comptroller John Liu thinks it'll be more like $96 million, "Historically, the city has consistently underbudgeted overtime projections at the beginning of the fiscal year. This is done as an effort to control overtime spending," but in the past six years, OT has cost 27-48% more. And State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli thinks overtime will go over-budget by $50 million.

The News reports that NYPD has a plan to "reduce overtime at the precinct level instead of by controlling it from headquarters" but "logistical concerns" have forced it to start next year, not this year. The mayor's office told the News, "Every single year we have produced an on-time, balanced budget that includes covering all overtime expenses. The record speaks for itself." Earlier this year, Governor Paterson said there would no longer be overtime pay for state employees.

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By Jen Chung in News on August 1, 2010 11:08 AM

Comments [rss]

ddhboy

I like how the commenters like to pretend that overtime exists for no reason whatsoever. You can also tell that none of the commenters have any managerial experience dealing with payroll. In short, its cheaper to offer overtime for current employees than it is to higher a new crop of employees to finish uncompleted work.

John L

I wonder if Bloomberg has OT issues in his own company, I doubt it. I'm sure he didn't make all those billions by being so liberal in giving out overtime to whoever wanted it.

Bloomberg is such a fraud. He fooled voters into thinking that he was doing them a favor by offering to run New York City. He led them to believe that they needed a business mastermind, a financial genius, such as himself to run this city more efficiently and it seems things are worse than ever. So much NYPD overtime yet crime is rising at a staggering rate. Yet most NYers still praise this idiot.

JacqueMehoff

Biggest chunk of overtime is from the NYPD, nuff said.

unretrofiedforu

Fine. Run for mayor and try to tell the blue wall they're losing OT.

JacqueMehoff

Most of them don't even live within the 5 boroughs, so I don't know where they get this political clout from.

JacqueMehoff

But they make Minimum Wage!!!!

Oh please, tell me what civil service job pays minimum wage. and to your OT on parades etc, link please. stop believing in lies and use your eyes. we know why there's OT because there's Overtime abuse. plain and simple, not parades. You mean with a Police force of over 35K they still use the OT excuse? please. what happened to our business smart and savy mayor?

oh yeah, they make enough to be on foodstamps.

Petey

A lot of the overtime comes from parades, new years and other events. You think that the city has enough employees that they can have cops and sanitation employees on hand to clean up the mess afterwards, and to maintain order during all the events, plus do their normal duties?

JacqueMehoff

But, But, But! The NYPD rookies only make 18K a year! That's poverty wages and they could get on Foodstamps!!!!!

Talk about the entitled being out of touch. They sure like believing what they want to hear.