With overtime compensation inflated during the 2008-09 fiscal
year due to an active fire season, the cost for the city fire
department naturally took a dip last year, of 8.4 percent. But Fire
Chief Fred Cheshire underscored how the $496,000 figure for the
department in 2009-10 should take a more drastic dive because he
had to cut the minimum staffing from eight firefighters to six in
order to reduce the budget in line with the city council’s order to
eliminate 12.5 percent in costs. He talked about it after the Free
Lance requested recent overtime figures from both the fire and
police departments.
With overtime compensation inflated during the 2008-09 fiscal year due to an active fire season, the cost for the city fire department naturally took a dip last year, of 8.4 percent.
But Fire Chief Fred Cheshire underscored how the $496,000 figure for the department in 2009-10 – it had been $542,000 the prior year – should take a more drastic dive because he had to cut the minimum staffing from eight firefighters to six in order to reduce the budget in line with the city council’s order to eliminate 12.5 percent in costs. That was an alternative to “going into personnel,” or considering layoffs.
What it ultimately means, Cheshire contends, is that the public could see reduced service levels and a higher potential for losses from fire damage. Cheshire expects savings of $323,000, he said.
“When the figure (from the council) first came out, I thought there’s no way I can get to 12.5 percent,” he said. “So when it came right down to it, if we change our minimum staffing from the eight to six, we could potentially save a relatively big chunk of money.”
Fire and police chiefs often have to balance the benefits or detriments of either paying out overtime or hiring additional employees. For Cheshire in these difficult times, the balance, as he called it, has become a reality of “actually noticeably reducing the service levels.”
“With the reduced service levels, it does kind of leave us open to the potential for more fire damage,” he said.
Public safety in particular is an area of government often prone to the use of overtime. The Free Lance requested overtime compensation totals from both the fire and police departments, along with a list of the employees receiving the most overtime pay in the past fiscal year. The newspaper received the data from the agencies late Friday afternoon.
The police department’s overtime pay for the year came to $297,100, according to the figures. It was down from $308,900 in 2008-09.
The employee with the most overtime last year was Officer Rudy Rodriguez, who made $36,849 in the compensation. His base salary was $71,558 and his total compensation with other special pay came to $113,986, according to the department. Next on the list was Officer Ray Celano with $23,946 in overtime pay, a base salary of $71,558 and total pay of $103,192. After that was Sgt. Eric Olson with $23,366 in overtime, a base salary of $75,075 and total pay of $103,707.
Overall, there were seven officers and three sergeants on the list for overtime compensation. In the fire department, on the other hand, there were six captains and four engineers.
Topping the list for the fire department was Capt. Leo Alvarez with $46,100 in overtime pay, a base salary of $85,817 and total pay of $146,109, according to the data. Second was Capt. Michael O’Connor with $33,164 in overtime pay, a base salary of $85,817 and total pay of $130,566.
Police Chief Jeff Miller noted how the department’s annual overtime figures have been “holding right around” $300,000. He pointed out situations where overtime is necessary such as when officers are sick or on vacation, because “we don’t have enough staff where we can just absorb the loss.”
He noted other scenarios such as court days for officers, call-outs for serious crimes needing detectives, or when there are late calls for service approaching someone’s end to a shift.
Miller said he is “proud and thankful” for officers putting in the overtime.
“I actually think we’re doing pretty good,” Miller said.
TOP 5 IN OVERTIME:
Hollister Fire Department
Capt. Leo Alvarez
Total: $146,109
Base: $85,817
Overtime: $46,100
Capt. Michael O’Connor
Total: $130,615
Base: $85,817
Overtime: $33,164
Capt. Tim Schneider
Total: $130,566
Base: $85,187
Overtime: $32,903
Capt. Melin Kenneth
Total: $126,268
Base: $85,817
Overtime: $33,723
Engineer Marco Aguirre
Total: $122,451
Base: $77,688
Overtime: $32,412
Hollister Police Department
Officer Rudy Rodriguez
Total: $113,986
Base: $71,558
Overtime: $36,849
Officer Ray Celano
Total: $103,192
Base: $71,588
Overtime: $23,946
Sgt. Eric Olson
Total: $103,707
Base: $75,075
Overtime: $23,366
Officer Matt Weiss
Total: $100,000
Base: $68,912
Overtime: $19,824
Sgt. Don Magnuson
Total: $101,672
Base: $72,223
Overtime: $19,464
