City?s surplus covers fire department overtime

Underbudgeted salaries for Baltimore?s fire department will take a bite out of the city?s projected surplus after some employees racked as much as 68 percent of their base salary in overtime, according to an Examiner analysis.

The city?s fire department underbudgeted overtime by 36 percent last year, spending $8.3 million on overtime last fiscal year, or $2.2 million more than reserved, according to city budget director Ray Wacks. About $4.8 million of the city?s $40 million surplus will cover fire department overruns, almost all attributable to overtime, he said.