Some city employees are making up to $36,000 just in overtime pay, working up to 26 hours per week despite the risk of fatigue, an analysis by The Dispatch shows.
According to public records obtained by The Dispatch, 16 city employees — all but two from the police department — made more than $10,000 just in overtime in 2010 or are projected to make more than that in 2011.
Those 14 officers are expected to make $194,646 in overtime pay this fiscal year — about what the entire Starkville police department, which has 63 officers, expects to spend.
”In black and white”
The highest overtime earner in Columbus in 2010 was Cpl. Donnie Elkin, who made about $36,000 in overtime pay. Combined with his regular pay of roughly $45,000, that puts his total annual pay at about $81,000, making him the highest paid city employee, even over Mayor Robert Smith ($76,500) and Police Chief Joseph St. John ($72,100).
“I like my job now more than I ever have,” he said, adding that he”s worked long hours away from his family to earn that.
St. John said Elkin has been tapped often for overtime because he”s one of the few who is usually able and willing to work the hours.
St. John, who signed off on the overtime, said he didn”t realize at the time just how much overtime Elkin was working.
“It”s one thing to know it — it”s another to see it in black and white,” he said.
City employees working overtime are paid at 1 1/2 times their regular pay rate. For Elkin, that”s about $26 per hour.
This fiscal year, Criminal Investigations Director Selvain McQueen is headed to be the highest paid city employee, already pulling down $15,742.13 in overtime between Oct. 1, 2010, and April 8, 2011.
If McQueen continues to work almost 19 hours of overtime each week, he”s projected to make $29,062.39 in overtime this year, which with his regular pay of about $48,000 would mean he”ll get a total of $77,398.21. McQueen is paid about $30 per hour for overtime work.
St. John said McQueen, along with his assistant director, Terrance Dentry — who is projected to make $67,235 this fiscal year — have both had to work overtime because they”re updating the way their division prepares for the grand jury.
Although high, Columbus officers aren”t receiving an uncommonly high amount of overtime compared to other municipalities, according to the state auditor”s office.
The next highest-paid city employees, Andrew Perkins and William “Randy” Rhoades, are both captains in Columbus Fire and Rescue.
In 2010, they both made about $10,000 in overtime. This year, Rhoades is on track to make about $19,311.63 in overtime pay, which would give him a total of $67,320 when combined with his salary of about $48,009.
”They know I”ll come”
Unlike in Columbus Fire & Rescue, where supervisors have a rotating list of people to call in for overtime, Elkin said police supervisors have often just called people they know will work.
“They call me because they know I”ll come help them,” Elkin said. “It”s just part of the job.”
This loose volunteer system has given willing officers ample opportunities to make overtime and little supervision of their hours in the past.
St. John said many of the officers who accrue large amounts of overtime are just the ones who don”t mind helping out.
“We”re not going to beg people to come in,” he added.
Burnout fears
Although individual police officers are pulling in a large amount of overtime, the worry is not so much with how much they”re making, but how much they”re working, St. John said.
The 14 top overtime earning officers worked an average 48 hours per month — or an average 11 hours and 13 minutes per week — just in overtime in 2010.
Elkin reported an average of more than 26 hours per week in overtime in fiscal year 2010, which ended Sept. 30.
This year, St. John and Smith have cut Elkin”s overtime hours significantly — down to a projected 10 hours and 30 minutes per week, because of fear that the strain could cause burnout.
“I think it”s just us being very, very cognizant (of how much he”s working),” St. John said.
Meanwhile, McQueen is working an average 18 hours and 45 minutes overtime each week, while Dentry is working 17 hours and 15 minutes each week.
Spread thin
Next year will be different, St. John said. In addition to keeping closer tabs on overtime, the police department will have six new officers in the field, which should cut down on overtime but increase payroll.
“Obviously,” he added, “we”re 100 times better with the new guys.”
But this year, officers are spread too thin, resulting in much of the overtime, he said. That, along with the cost of covering special events, is why the City Council recently approved adding another $150,000 to the $200,000 police overtime budget for this year.
The amendment, which was one of several, has sparked discussion among councilmen about ways to curtail police overtime.
Ward 5 Councilman Kabir Karriem voted against the budget amendments partly because he wants to “look a little closer” at police overtime practices, which he called “questionable.”
“I can”t say what the problem is, but I think that question needs to be posed to the police chief,” Karriem said.
Department heads, he added, are responsible for keeping their departments within their budgets.
Ward 3 Councilman Charlie Box said he had “mixed feelings” about police overtime practices, but didn”t blame the officers.
“I don”t have a problem with these guys making a lot of money,” he said. “Public safety is something you just can”t cut cards on. If we can”t afford safety, we can”t afford to be in business.”
However, he continued, the police overtime budget could be cut by about $75,000 if officers didn”t have to patrol special events.
The idea of making organizers of events such as this weekends Market Street Festival pay for their own security has been bandied about since the budget was amended in April.
St. John has told the council that he dislikes the idea, but is open to discussion. In the meantime, he has ordered supervisors to send officers home from special events if they”re not needed.
“We”re going to reevaluate this year strongly,” he said, referring to how police cover events.
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