Howard County government spent nearly $6.6 million on employee overtime last year ? a cost dominated by police and fire departments.
“I would like it to be as low as possible, with the knowledge that the vast majority of overtime spending is for public safety,” County Executive Ken Ulman said.
The Department of Fire and Rescue Services spent $2.6 million, and the police department spent $2.2 million, according to payroll reports obtained by The Examiner.
The overtime spending was part of an overall $138.1 million spent on employee salaries in 2006, the records show.
For fiscal 2006, the county budgeted $7.1 million for overtime for the 3,558 employees, a sum that is separated by department, county spokesman Kevin Enright said.
Ulman called it a “balancing act” to keep overtime spending low, but not compromise the county?s police and fire needs.
Control of overtime spending falls on the department heads, with oversight from the executive?s office.
Ulman said he works with department heads each month to monitor this and other budget issues, “to keep on track.”
Overall, he said he encourages his staff to continually re-evaluate county programs and spending, to look for new ideas and efficiencies.
The county?s fiscal 2008 operating budget, passed by the County Council last week, funds 140 new county employees, including 32 sworn police officers and 39 firefighter recruits.
However, the new hires won?t immediately alleviate overtime spending. The first year of new police and fire recruits is mostly consumed by training, Enright said.
The county also gave $623,998 in bonuses in 2006, ranging from $25 to $2,574. The top bonus earner was Department of Public Works Director Jim Irvin.
Of that, the police department paid out $104,310 in bonuses to staff and sworn officers.
The county developed a performance-based award program in 1997, and each year an amount is included in the budget to fund the awards, Enright said.
Although performance-based awards “are helpful,” Ulman said he plans to review the bonuses to ensure the money is being used to maximize performance.
“I don’t want it to be seen as an entitlement. I want it to be really seen as a performance reward,” he said.
Examiner Staff Writer Joe Palazzolo contributed to this report.
Howard County?s Top 10 overtime earners
(Base salary/Overtime/Total)
» Francis Rommal, fire battalion chief: $91,129/$45,225/$137,205
» Charles King Jr., fire captain: $93,638/$40,917/$135,256
» Joseph Richards, fire battalion chief: $89,419/$35,080/$125,336
» Michael Mui, police officer: $70,653/$35,043/$105,696
» James Love, firefighter lieutenant: $73,313/$35,033/$108,346
» Michael Butt, fire battalion chief: $94,484/$33,704/$129,125
» Edgar Holman, senior dispatcher: $69,389/$33,204/$103,377
» John Merson III, fire captain: $73,419/$31,469/$105,502
» Michael Sharpe, firefighter lieutenant: $66,967/$31,077/$98,043
» David O?Neill, fire captain: $82,558/$30,637/$113,761
Top 10 salary earners, including overtime and bonuses
*Appointed
» Leonard Vaughan*, former director of housing and community and development: $172,735
» Raquel Sanudo*, former chief administrative officer: $165,563
» G. Wayne Livesay*, former chief of police: $161,632
» James Irvin*, director of public works: $159,789
» Barbara Cook*, former county solicitor: 143,595
» Donald Wyant, police corporal: $140,315
» Francis Rommal, fire battalion chief: $137,205
» James Robey Jr., former county executive: $136,090
» Charles King Jr. fire captain: $135,256
Source: Howard County government records
Click here to download the entire payroll file.
