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WILKES-BARRE — The city is trying to bring budget-busting overtime costs under control, Mayor Tony George said Friday.

A combination of weather, emergencies, vacations and short staffs have pushed the expenses beyond their budgeted amounts, the mayor said, referring to the draft financial report for August that contains the line item entries for the various city departments.

The overtime costs, if not checked, could further derail the city’s $47.1 million balanced budget that’s already affected by more than $1 million in unbudgeted expenses from the cleanup of the March blizzard.

The Department of Public Works has the highest total of overtime and double time costs, a combined $52,614 for waste collection through the end of August, according to the draft report.

The mayor said DPW workers have been busy doing everything from cleaning creeks, picking up yard waste, putting in longer hours to collect garbage so it won’t sit out overnight and taking care of problem properties flagged through the city’s Quality of Life ordinance. The yard waste pickups should slow down after summer, he said.

“They’re out there clearing some of the houses where the grass is high,” George said. The city issues citations and attempts to recover its costs through liens placed on the properties, he added.

The draft financial report showed these numbers:

• Waste collection overtime: $73,870 or $33,870 over budget

• Waste collection special events overtime: $18,715 or $8,715 over budget

• Waste collection double time: $4,318 or $2,318 over budget

• Waste collection special events double time: $14,711 or $7,711 over budget

Firefighting overtime: $29,952 or $9,952 over budget

Firefighting overtime emergency: $21,411 or $1,411 over budget

Ambulance services temporary per diem: $40,178 or $5,178 over budget

Ambulance services overtime emergency: $14,059 or $6,559 over budget

Police patrol division overtime: $104,329 or $4,329 over budget

Special detail services overtime: $16,327 or $14,327 over budget.

Shifts at the fire and police departments have been undermanned due to vacations, sick leave and people out on workers compensation, the mayor said.

In addition, the fire department has called out off-duty personnel for fires and has been activated to monitor Solomon Creek and install the gates on bridges.

“We’ve been hit with everything you can think of this year,” the mayor said.

George
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By Jerry Lynott

[email protected]

Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLJerryLynott.