PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Overtime spending has long worried the state watchdog that oversees Philadelphia’s city budget, but on Tuesday, their members saw cause for optimism.
Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority Executive Director Harvey Rice said that for the second quarter in a row, the city is spending less on overtime than in previous years.
"The city has implemented some measures to better manage overtime," said Rice.
"It’s now a focus of their budget process, so we’re very glad to see that movement has been made in the city."
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Rice says the city is right on target to meet its goal for overtime spending this fiscal year, which PICA finds encouraging.
"The less money you spend on overtime, the more you have for other critical needed services that arise during the year, such as unrest or snow storms, or the violence problem that more money needs to go toward addressing."
The city has spent $98 million on overtime since July, compared to $105.1 million at the same point in 2021 and $113.1 million for quarter 2 in 2020.
