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Monthly overtime report: MTA, police and sheriff show downward trends but supervisors flag risks
Summary
The Controller's office reported February reductions in overtime across major departments — MTA, Police, Fire, Public Health and Sheriff — driven by hiring, scheduling changes and reduced jail population. Supervisors praised declines but warned that workforce and fleet gaps could erode service if maintenance and staffing are cut.
The Budget & Finance Committee received its monthly Controller's overtime report March 4 and heard presentations from five major departments identified by the Controller: Municipal Transportation Agency, Police Department, Fire Department, Public Health, and Sheriff.
Monique Smuda (Controller's Office) said overtime as a percentage of regular hours has fallen across departments in recent months. Department presentations highlighted drivers and mitigation strategies:
- Sheriff’s Office: the largest slice of sheriff overtime is custody and jail staffing; a prior court order to reopen a jail increased overtime last year but recent hires and a falling jail population have reduced overtime. The department said overtime for courts and high‑security trials remains a driver.
- Police Department (Ken Bukowski and deputies): the largest variability is in extended work week and special events overtime; the department reported a year‑to‑date general‑fund overtime reduction projected to be about $5M less than last year and described deployment and shift changes to limit event costs.
- Fire Department (Deputy Chief Gary Masatani): suppression staffing is the largest overtime category; the department is changing EMS ambulance staffing to dynamic 4x10 schedules to reduce peak‑period overtime and monitors vacation/leave allocations to limit overtime impacts.
- MTA (Kenneth McDonald): roughly 90% of MTA overtime is service delivery; MTA reported roughly 40% reduction in overtime since an October high but said operator shortages (about 2,100 on staff vs. a higher funded need) and a paused vehicle life‑cycle program could create service risks if maintenance hiring and fleet investments are not restored.
- Public Health (Greg Sass): DPH runs a lower percentage of overtime relative to salary but large dollar totals; redeployments after bed reductions at Laguna Honda and changes at SFGH led to a projected 30% drop in overtime dollars this year.
Supervisors praised reductions but repeatedly warned that cutting maintenance, training or back‑office staffing to reduce overtime can produce longer‑term service problems — notably at MTA where mechanics and fleet life‑cycle work were identified as potential vulnerabilities. Departments agreed to return with more granular breakdowns (for example, traffic enforcement overtime codes) and to provide materials to the clerk for inclusion in committee packets.
