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City auditors flag rising overtime costs; committee discusses staffing, contracts and budget implications
Summary
City auditors presented historical overtime trends showing large increases in public‑safety and general‑fund overtime; council members pressed Parks, JSO and Fire Rescue on vacancy‑driven overtime, use of private contractors, and whether overtime or additional hires are more cost effective ahead of the budget cycle.
City auditors told the Duval Doze Committee that overtime costs have risen substantially since fiscal 2017–18 and that the auditors’ historic analysis will be useful as the council reviews the upcoming budget.
Kim Taylor of the Council Auditor’s Office told the committee the auditors had prepared a two‑page overview and a more detailed breakout showing general‑fund overtime history. Taylor said the general fund’s overtime budget rose from about $27.7 million to roughly $65.7 million in the most recent budget cycle—a reported increase the auditor characterized as roughly $38 million when compared across the series—and that actual overtime paid increased from about $31.8 million to $77.1 million over the same span. The auditors separated public‑safety and non‑public‑safety overtime on a follow‑up page.
Taylor and council members discussed drivers of the increases. For public safety, the auditors cited growth in personnel needs, new fire stations, comp time usage triggered by COVID‑era policies, and collective‑bargaining pay increases. For the sheriff’s office, Taylor said a long‑running pattern of corrections staffing vacancies and special events work drives persistent overtime costs.
On non‑public‑safety spending, Taylor highlighted Parks, Recreation and Community Services, where overtime rose largely in playgrounds and center rentals; library overtime increased primarily for contracted Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office security; and Public Works overtime grew in mowing/landscaping, right‑of‑way and storm‑water response tied to more roadway miles and vacancy‑driven gaps. Taylor said departments are expected to analyze whether adding positions or using overtime is more cost‑effective before requesting new hires in the budget process.
Committee members pressed Parks Director Daryl Joseph on alternatives to overtime, including flex scheduling, hiring weekend‑schedule team members, and contracting some services to private providers. Joseph said Parks already uses a mix of flex time, targeted weekend hires and contractor support; he noted summer peak demand and safety reasons (pump‑room access at pools) sometimes limit staff flexibility. Joseph said Parks plans to recruit staff whose primary workweek includes weekends for high‑demand sites.
Council members raised the use of private security at libraries and whether that could be adjusted. Taylor said the library security increase was tied to JSO deployment and security arrangements rather than ordinary staffing changes.
Council members also cited an Inspector General review at Waste Management that tied supervisory scrutiny to a 37% reduction in overtime after changes were implemented, and urged stronger supervisory oversight across departments. Several members recommended using the auditor’s workbook during the coming budget deliberations to align initial budgets with historical actuals and known staffing pressures.
Taylor told the committee that the overtime numbers shown were gross costs (not net of any fees or user revenues) and that fee analyses—such as for rentals at parks—are performed separately by the budget office. Members asked for additional district‑level breakdowns and for parks to identify which specific operations are producing overtime overruns.
The committee did not adopt formal policies at the meeting but directed staff to use the overtime analysis in the budget process and to provide further breakdowns and options for reducing overtime, including potential private contracting and targeted hiring.
