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Friday, February 17, 2012

Report: City may spend more in overtime, unemployment

Updated:

The Quarterly City Manager’s Report, released Wednesday shows the city may wind up spending more for unemployment compensation and in overtime costs for crime-fighting projects like Operation Pressure Point.

According to the report, the city projects it will spend $22 million more than the Target Budget and $4 million more than the budget adopted by City Council.

The Police Department projects it will spend $2.5 million more in overtime due to Occupy Philly ($1.5 million), the movement against corporate greed and Operation Pressure Point ($1 million), a citywide program launched in 2008 to focus on crime hot spots.

Occupy Philly protesters were evicted from City Hall’s Dilworth Plaza on Nov. 30. Construction of Dilworth Plaza began recently for the project which includes an ice-skating rink and a café.

Meanwhile, the Fire Department projects it will spend $4 million more than expected due to higher overtime costs due in part to no new firefighter class and an increase in the number of fire fighters injured on duty.

The material, supplies and equipment projection has increased by $5 million due to a rise in higher fuel costs in the Office of Fleet Management.

"Fuel prices are going higher," said Fleet Manager James Muller. "That's why we need the extra money. It's $103 per barrel for oil. As it goes up, our costs go up."

And more inmates plus low staffing levels equals $3 million more that the prison system projects it'll have to dish out in overtime costs.

The Sheriff is projected to spend $2.5 million more than their targeted budget as a result of higher overtime costs and an increase in Deputy Sheriff wage earnings awarded during interest arbitration.

Lastly, the city anticipates spending $5.2 million for the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA)and unemployment compensation which is largely due to the federal extension of unemployment benefits, said Budget Director Rebecca Rhynhart.

The fiscal year 2012 fund balance of $59.7 million is close to what was projected, but lower than budgeted, Rhynhart said, adding that "tax revenues are down as seen across the country."

But several one-time revenues helped to pump up the fund balance, she added.

Posted by Jan Ransom @ 3:03 PM Permalink | 3 comments

Comments

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 3:36 PM, 02/17/2012

Glad those cutbacks are working out.

— Philadelphians for Ethical Leadership

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 5:35 AM, 02/18/2012

And the good news is????

— Dadair1

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 6:40 AM, 02/18/2012

all this proves is that the NUTTER administration is the most incompetent adminisistration since the civil war resign

— the commodore

3 comments

About The Philly Clout Team

Chris Brennan, a native Philadelphian and graduate of Temple University, joined the Daily News in 1999. He has written about SEPTA, the Philadelphia School District, the legalization of casino gambling, state government, the mayor, the governor, City Council and political campaigns.

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David Gambacorta spent a small eternity writing about cops, drug dealers and serial killers. Now he’s writing about power and politics – which sometimes reminds him of the old crime beat. He joined the Daily News in 2005. And yes, he knows you’re not quite sure how to pronounce his last name. E-mail tips to gambacd@phillynews.com

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Catherine Lucey joined the Daily News in 2002 and has written about murderous drug gangs, political protesters and Harry Potter. After covering the 2007 mayoral election, she moved over to the City Hall bureau where she has been reporting on the Nutter administration.

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Jan Ransom, a native New Yorker, joined the Daily News in 2010 after graduating from Howard University. She has since written about the difficulty of filing police complaints, tax deadbeats and life after violent home invasions. She joined the Daily News City Hall Bureau in 2011 and has plunged headfirst into reporting on administration budget battles and City Council shenanigans.

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