Summary
According to PICA’s FY2017 third quarter overtime update, overtime spending across all departments was $116.5 million through the third quarter, $7.7 million more than allocated, representing 90 percent of the City’s overtime allocation for the full fiscal year with three months still remaining. All but two of the seven departments identified for overtime reduction in the City’s FY2017-2021 Five-Year Plan exceeded their own overtime spending estimates through the third quarter of FY2017. The analysis also found: · The seven departments identified for overtime reduction combined to spend $105.3 million in overtime through the third quarter, exceeding their combined estimates by $5 million. · The Police Department spent over 92 percent of its annual overtime allocation through the third quarter of FY2017. · Overtime spending through the third quarter represented 10.4 percent of total wage and salary costs, the lowest percentage since FY2012. Based on results through the third quarter, it appears that the City will find it difficult to achieve its goal of reducing overtime within the seven identified departments, as well as across all City departments. The City has exceeded its approved overtime allocation in each of the last five fiscal years, and if the pace of overtime spending continues, there is a strong possibility that the city will exceed its overtime allocation once again.