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Buffalo officials weigh charging events a 'true cost' as police overtime tops $868,000
Summary
The police department told council it has absorbed about $868,000 in overtime for special events so far this fiscal year and plans to move from a 2007-era $65/hour flat fee to a 'true to cost' billing model that officials say better reflects overtime/fringe costs. Council members pressed for transparency on which venues and grants will be exempt.
Buffalo City officials discussed plans on Monday to shift how the city bills for police services at special events after the police department said it has borne roughly $868,000 in overtime costs for such details so far this fiscal year.
Police leadership told council that the department currently charges a flat $65-per-hour rate for event details — a fee adopted in 2007 — but that the real per-hour cost including overtime fringe and related expenses is about $114. Commissioners said the department will pursue a change toward billing “true to cost,” while working out the implementation details before the start of the next fiscal year. They flagged a roughly $27,000 unreimbursed expense tied to a recent Sabres event at KeyBank Center as an example of the funding gap.
Council members asked whether the billing change would be applied uniformly across venues or whether some events…
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