Providence has Dished Out $22 Million in Police/Fire Overtime Since July 2010
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
The capital city has spent more than $22 million to cover public safety overtime costs in less than two years, with the overwhelming majority of funds being spent on the fire department, according to information obtained through a public records request.
Between July 2010 (the beginning of the 2011 fiscal year) and May 18, 2012 (when the city released its numbers to GoLocalProv), Providence firefighters received $17,617,640 in overtime pay and police officers received $4,575,215.
The grand total: $22,192,855GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST
Four of those months saw fire department overtime rise above $1 million and only three months saw the department incur costs less than $500,000. On the police side, overtime costs haven’t risen above $140,000 in any month since last September and have never risen above $220,000 since Mayor Angel Taveras took office in January of 2011.
“Historically, public safety departments have always had difficulty living within their overtime budget, and, unfortunately, this fiscal year is no exception,” said Councilman David Salvatore. “There are several reasons for the overages, but they are mostly due to collective bargaining constraints such as minimum manning and staffing requirements.”
Minimum Manning an Issue
The leading reasons for the large overtime costs in the fire department include a personnel shortage and a collective bargaining agreement that includes a minimum manning requirement of 90 firefighters, a number the Taveras administration managed to reduce slightly during its last round of contract negotiations. The administration also negotiated a one-week reduction in vacation time in last summer’s contract with the fire department.
City Councilman Sam Zurier said the Council looks to both the Police and Fire Departments to manage their budgets to maintain an acceptable level of overtime, but that in order to reduce overtime further, it would be necessary to change the minimum manning levels in the contract. That three-year contract signed last year reduced minimum manning by just two firefighters.
“This may present an area for discussion with the fire fighters’ union if they are willing enter into negotiations for further savings,” Zurier said last month. “The current climate does not appear to be conducive to such negotiations.”
New Fire Academy Could Cut Costs
That doesn’t mean the city has stopped attempting to take measures to address the overtime costs, however. In its fiscal year 2013 budget passed last week, the city agreed to create a new fire academy that will bring in between 35 and 50 new firefighters. Salvatore said the additional personnel will allow for the city to better meet its contractual staffing obligations without resorting to as many callbacks.
Last month, Mayor Taveras said the fire academy may save Providence millions of dollars in the long run. For every five vacancies filled, the city believes it can cut overtime costs by $448,000. Taveras estimates that the fire academy will save the city between $3.1 and $4.5 million in overtime costs each year and produce net savings of up to $1 million annually.
"It is important to me that we recruit a talented class of firefighters. I am confident that we can find that talent right here in Providence," Taveras said. "The new fire academy will create good family jobs in our city and at the same time save up to $1 million annually by reducing overtime costs."
Fire union president Paul Doughty praised the decision to form a new academy.
"I appreciate Mayor Taveras' commitment to open a new fire academy and look forward to working with the administration to recruit a talented, qualified and diverse class of new firefighters," he said."Firefighters are vital and contributing members of the community and we are excited for the opportunity to welcome new members into our family. The academy will help the city create new, good, family-wage paying jobs."
Striking a Balance
Still, at a time when the city is still facing short-term cash flow problems, officials acknowledge they must balance concerns related to overtime costs with the public’s well-being. The city has worked to erase a $22 million shortfall with its pension reform ordinance and by reaching agreements for payments in lieu of taxes with several nonprofit institutions, but it’s FY 2013 budget leaves little margin for error when it comes to expenses.
At the same time, the city has recently seen an uptick in violent crime, including seven homicides this year. The downtown area has also been tarnished by fights and stabbings that have occurred at nightclubs over the past several months, which has also proved to be “a major staffing drain” on police officers, according to Zurier.
For Councilman Bryan Principe, the issues surrounding overtime deserve close monitoring. The first-term Councilman agreed that the fire academy is a step in the right direction, but he also noted that the city needs to live within its means.
“The overtime costs for public safety have accrued without limit, which presents a huge problem when the city is trying to manage such a lean budget. We simply cannot afford these unanticipated costs,” Principe said.
Dan McGowan can be reached at [email protected].
