Summary
The Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Autority’s (“PICA”) Overtime Update for the First Quarter for FY2020 showed City of Philadelphia overtime costs totaled $53.1 million, $5.5 million more than was spent in the first quarter of last year. Additionally, the redesigned Update concluded City departments spent 31.9 percent of their total allocation for FY2020 overtime spending in the first quarter, and are on track to exceed that allocation for the tenth consecutive fiscal year. Whereas vacations and other leave usage can affect first quarter overtime spending, the City projects it will reach its highest ever total for overtime spending in FY2020 will be the highest year yet. FY2020 also marks the fifth year in which PICA has advocated for an improved budgeting process with the goal of bringing total overtime spending back within a reasonable, responsible level. The report also found the following: • The Departments which spent the most on overtime were Police ($21.6 million), Fire ($14.5 million), Prisons ($6.9 million) and Streets ($4.2 million); • These same four departments also represent the highest increases in overtime spending compared to the first quarter of last year; • Across all departments, overtime spending increased by almost 11 percent; • The Office of Property Assessment spent more than its entire allocation for overtime (126.4 percent) through the first quarter. In addition to addressing some of the challenges faced by key departments in reducing overtime costs, the PICA report also analzed the effect staffing may have on departments’ ability to control overtime spending, as the ten departments staffed at 95 percent or higher spent just 23.2 percent of their combined allocations, while the ten departments staffed at 89 percent or lower spent 37.3 percent of their combined allocations. PICA staff will continue to track and report on City of Philadelphia overtime, producing quarterly updates and an annual report throughout FY2020.