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Budget committee trims Fire Department overtime reallocation after debate; moves ordinance to Board as amended
Summary
After a lengthy debate about staffing, mandatory minimums and overtime caps, the committee accepted the Budget Analyst’s recommended $466,002 reduction in the Fire Department’s reallocation request and forwarded the ordinance amended to the full Board with the committee’s recommendation.
The Budget and Finance Committee considered an ordinance that would reallocate $4,539,012 within the Fire Department budget from permanent salaries and fringe benefits to overtime to cover a projected overtime deficit. Chief Hayes White said the request was a reallocation, not new money, and attributed the overtime shortfall to low staffing levels, station re‑openings and an elevated volume of medical and fire responses. "The way to reduce overtime, obviously, would be to hire additional personnel into the field," he said.
Chief Hayes White described WDO (work day off/voluntary overtime) policy and a city cap tied to a 48.7‑hour work week (approximately 633 hours), and noted exemptions allow some members to exceed the cap to avoid mandatory assignments. He reported about 32 members currently exceeded 1,100 overtime hours and said station reactivation (Station 35) and slow replacement of retirees have increased mandatory overtime demands.
The Budget & Legislative Analyst (Harvey Rose) reviewed the department’s projections using payroll through the pay period ending March 29 and estimated FY2012–13 general‑fund overtime expenditures of $39.6 million, some $466,002 less than the department’s projection of roughly $40.0 million, and recommended reducing the general‑fund portion of the appropriation by that amount.
Supervisors debated options: accept the BLA reduction, reserve the disputed funds on the Budget & Finance Committee reserve so the money would be held but available if needed, or approve the department’s full request and risk higher overtime spending. The mayor’s budget office (Kate Howard) showed a 10‑year chart tying declining uniform FTE to rising overtime hours and reiterated plans for additional academy classes (one per year planned) to reduce overtime reliance over time.
After discussion the committee took the BLA’s recommendation. A roll‑call vote on the amendment recorded: Supervisor Maher — aye; Supervisor Avalos — aye; Supervisor Breed — aye; Supervisor Reid — aye; Supervisor Weiner — no; Supervisor Farrell — no. The ordinance as amended was forwarded to the full Board with the committee’s recommendation.
The committee stressed that hiring to restore staffing and reduce overtime is a multi‑year need and asked the administration to continue accelerating academy classes and to provide updated overtime projections if spending patterns change.
The committee adjourned after completing the agenda.
