By: Rachel Baye Examiner Staff Writer 08/09
The four Montgomery County agencies that spend the most on overtime pay shelled out 26 percent more in the last three months of the fiscal year than during the same period last year, data shows -- defying the County Council's request that departments reduce overtime spending as they looked for ways to save money in a tight budget year.
In the last quarter of the fiscal year that ended June 30, the agencies that consistently spend the vast majority of the county's overtime costs -- Fire and Rescue Services, the Police Department, the Department of Transportation, and the Department of Corrections -- increased the spending by about $3 million from the same time last year, according to a report by County Stat.
Top 10 spenders April 1-June 30
Department Overtime Fire and Rescue Services $4,662,492.17
Police Department $3,446,321.56
Department of Transportation $2,177,288.87
Department of Correction and Rehabilitation $1,147,116.33
Department of General Services $287,926.38
Department of Liquor Control $139,604.01
Health and Human Services $69,001.33
Department of Environmental Protection $35,986.44
Department of Housing and Community Affairs $17,447.33
Sheriff’s Office $15,515.35
Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://washingtonexaminer.com/local/2011/08/overtime-pay-spikes-montgomery#ixzz1UvV1aP4E
Nice that you did not use this post to bash the school system. What, did they not have any overtime?
ReplyDelete@Huntington
ReplyDeletePlease read the post. This is a link to an Examiner article. You can direct your questions to the Examiner.
As to MCPS, yes they have lots of overtime. Want the details? We will be happy to get them for you.
huntington does not know that mcps is not part of county stat
ReplyDeleteAnonymous@12:30pm (or @Huntington?), the school system is not part of Montgomery County so they were not included. You as a MoCo taxpayer have no control over how MCPS spends your money. MCPS is a 'quasi-state' agency. That is why they are not included in a list of MoCo agencies. I would love to find out how much they spend on overtime.
ReplyDeleteHuntington, as in Huntington, Maryland is not in Montgomery County. Huntington is in Calvert County.
ReplyDeleteMaybe "Huntington" should let readers know why they are so interested in Montgomery County Public School's budget?
MCPS has plenty of people who work overtime. They are called activity sponsors, coaches and drama coordinators. They make half to a quarter of their normal pay. Put another way, many MCPS employees who work overtime take a pay cut, per hour, to do so.
ReplyDeleteThat isn't overtime. That is stipend activity that is paid at a rate worked out by the union. The rates of pay for those activities are agreed upon by the union representatives at the secret MCPS budget table. Each union has 2 seats at that table, along with MCCPTA and MCPS administrators.
ReplyDeleteThe public would love to know how those rates are established. Maybe the unions would like to bring the budget discussions back to the public Board of Education table so that the public can understand what deals are being cut?
You can read about Prince George's Public Schools overtime issues in this article:
http://washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/editorials/local/2011/05/examiner-local-editorial-prince-georges-public-schools-overtime-pro
Janis, if it makes you feel better label it whatever you like. However, it doesn't change the reality that anything over a 40 hour week in the government sector is generally overtime (requiring more pay) unless in a management position.
ReplyDeleteThe difference is not it what it's called, but the pay levels. Your postering or labeling it some secret deal done behind closed doors doesn't change that fact.
Plus if you really think their is a SECRET conspiracy where employees of MCPS are conspiring to pad their salaries at a rate $14/hour, one that is well below their normal rate then I think we've entered the world of impractical arguments to make a point.
Fact - what anonymous has brought up are stipend positions PER THE UNION CONTRACT
ReplyDeleteFact - the union representatives agree to these terms and these rates at the secret MCPS budget table
Fact - if teachers don't like the agreement their union has made on their behalf then they need to take that up with their union
Fact - the MCPS budget IS set at a secret budget table where the public is not permitted to observe (public can't do a thing to lobby for an increase in teacher stipends)
If anonymous doesn't like the deal the union has made, take that up with your union leadership.
Your union leaders would rather have an unknown number of outside consultants siphoning off millions and millions of dollars of MCPS operating budget dollars than pay teachers more for their stipend positions.
Your choice. You elected your union leaders, they have cut the deals for you.
Oh, and by the way. The new superintendent that the union's Apple Ballot selected Board of Education members hired has already taken a trip out of town. How much of the MCPS Operating Budget went to that trip?
ReplyDeleteThe union leaders would rather fund that trip, dinners, hotel and travel for an entire entourage than teacher stipends for after school activities.
It's a choice that is being made by the union leadership that sits at the secret MCPS budget table.