Metro is seeking to add 263 positions to its payroll, despite pleas of austerity and a request for millions of dollars more in taxpayer subsidies. The transit agency’s budget proposal calls for a workforce of 11,237 for the coming fiscal year, up from the 10,974 positions funded in the current budget.
| Metro’s budgeted staffing levels |
| 2002: 9,965 |
| 2003: 10,156 |
| 2004: 10,015 |
| 2005: 10,294 |
| 2006: 10,451 |
| 2007: 11,102 |
| 2008: 11,483 |
| 2009: 11,232 |
| 2010: 10,853 |
| 2011: 10,974 |
| Proposed for 2012: 11,237 |
| Source: Metro fiscal year budgets, running July 1-June 30 |
It’s the second year in a row Metro would add positions, with the agency proposing to add twice as many this time. The additions would negate the effect of past high-profile layoffs.
The proposed additions come as Metro seeks $72.5 million more from local jurisdictions and is considering selling naming rights for stations to pay its bills. Across the region, public agencies have weathered furloughs and layoffs, while private industries have frozen salaries and issued pink slips.
But Metro’s expansion wouldn’t translate to a slew of additional drivers on bus routes or trains. Many of the new positions are desk jobs.
Under the plan, Metro plans to add 100 information technology positions and 37 more to the financial services department. The deputy general manager’s staff would nearly double from 82 to 162, according to the budget proposal.
The safety department, meanwhile, would grow by just one position.
Metro spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said the proposed additions reflect the agency’s increased focus on rebuilding Metro’s worn-down subway.
She said the increased number of information technology jobs comes as the agency is eliminating outside contractors and bringing more work in-house.
Some of the jobs are short-term. Positions for the Dulles Rail expansion and the installation of more cell phone service will be eliminated once the projects are finished, she said.
About 20 percent of the new financial services jobs — about seven workers — are for additional customer service representatives to help with fare transactions, she said.
The Metro Transit Police would also add 10 positions in just a few months, although new CEO Richard Sarles gave no indication of the increased staffing during a radio interview Tuesday.
“At the moment with our budget situation, we’re just filling all our vacancies,” he said during the WTOP interview.
The budget is far from finalized, though. The board of directors will spend the next few months hashing over the details before it takes effect July 1.
