Overtime Story Missed the Mark

* I would like to take a moment to express my concern regarding a story published July 22, “County Overtime Pay Up 50% From Previous Year.”

This article disregards the fact that my department actually spent slightly less in overtime than was budgeted for the year: $16.4 million was budgeted and only $16.1 million actually expended.

In fiscal year 1996-97, “Madera” pay accounted for almost $5 million in the overtime budget. This expenditure is not an overtime expense. It is a negotiated salary agreement based on legislative mandates. It only appears in the overtime category because it has no official budget category within the county payroll system and is tracked by the County of Orange administration in the overtime account.

In fiscal year 1996-97, $16.4 million was budgeted for overtime, compared to $13.7 million in fiscal year 1995-96. The main reason for this $2.7-million increase resulted from a one-time bankruptcy emergency cost savings, agreed upon by the Assn. of Deputy Sheriffs to assist the county in its time of financial crisis. Deputy sheriffs agreed to defer payment of 40 hours salary they had earned until the next fiscal year. This repayment was ordered by the Bankruptcy Court.

As you pointed out there was in fact approximately a $5.5-million increase in overtime expenditures between fiscal years 1996-97 and 1995-96 ($16.1 million versus $10.6 million).

Reasons why [include] payment for mandated training deferred because of the bankruptcy; salary and merit increases deferred [and] ordered by the Bankruptcy Court; overtime related to the reinstatement of 69 critical department positions lost in the bankruptcy; prisoner transportation costs associated with overtime required to transport state prison inmates a much greater distance for processing.

BRAD GATES

Orange County Sheriff-Coroner