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Controller reports projected $43M straight‑line overtime exposure; five departments detail drivers and mitigation
Summary
The controller combined two reporting requirements into a monthly overtime report that showed a straight‑line projection of roughly $43 million in overtime cost pressure; the sheriff, police, fire, MTA and public health described drivers, exemptions and steps (hiring, rotation, waivers) to reduce overtime; the committee requested detailed follow‑up from the five departments.
The controller's office presented a combined monthly overtime report required by administrative code and a new cap ordinance. On a straight‑line projection the office said citywide overtime could result in about $43,000,000 in additional expenditure relative to appropriations if current trends continued, though staff emphasized departments often use salary savings to cover overtime and some identified savings have already reduced the projected exposure.
Monique Samuda (controller's office) said monitoring shows overtime is declining compared with last year and that the mayor's office and departments are using rotation, hiring and other tools to reduce hours. "On a straight line projection... we will be overspent about $43,000,000 on a citywide basis," the controller's presenter said.
Department briefings and waivers: Representatives from the Sheriff's Office, Police Department, Fire Department, MTA and the Department of Public Health described distinct drivers: jail staffing and mandated posts for the Sheriff, demonstrations and specialized events for Police, mutual aid and reimbursements for Fire, frontline service runs and operator vacancies for MTA, and clinical‑need staffing patterns for Public Health. The Department of Human Resources and compensation manager Steve Ponder described a narrow set of waivers and exemptions (juvenile probation, elections, mutual aid) and said the office had granted a limited number of exemptions and worked with departments to rotate overtime.
Committee direction: Supervisors asked the five departments to return with a detailed breakdown next month of overtime spending, causes and management practices; the controller and DHR will continue monthly reporting and departments cited hiring, reassignments, stricter absenteeism enforcement and scheduling changes as primary mitigation tools.
