NYS Comptroller: Adding Employees Could Reduce Overall Cost Of New York State Budget
NYS Comptroller Tom DiNapoli joined WIBX First News with Keeler in the Morning to discuss on Wednesday.
''I think you need to look in the context of the trend, the trend is bad. At a time where we have lean budgets and a tough economy. Overtime costs are really premium costs, employees are paid extra and it often indicates a problem with staffing and work schedules. From 2012 over 2011, we're looking at an increase of about 11% - or $52 million dollars - that may not sound like a lot in the context of the state budget, but the overall overtime costs are over a half a billion dollars, and we're seeing certain agencies with a continued upward trend,'' DiNapoli said.
''The agencies we see the biggest costs, 67% of the total cost, are Department of Criminal Justice Services, Office of Mental Health and Office of People with Developmental Disabilities,'' DiNapoli said, adding that they are very important agencies with 24/7 requirements so they may need to take another look at current work schedules.
''This report is really a management tool,'' he said.
''State Police and DOT, our numbers didn't prove that out, but it would seem that some of [the overtime] is season or related to big storms. Keep in mind there is an ongoing recurring cost, that's then built into their pension base for those employees.''
He said that adding a few employees to the departments may actually reduce the overall long term costs.
Full Interview from WIBX First News with Keeler in the Morning:
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