Back in November, Northampton County Controller Steve Barron released an audit revealing a stunning 76.1% overtime (OT) increase since 2004. Most of it occurred at the jaul, Gracedale and in the Sheriff's Department. One lucky corrections officer pulled down $130,764.56 in 2008, even though her base salary is just $46,723.In response, Exec John Stoffa asked Finance Director Vic Mazziotti to lead a committee studying overtime at every department throughout the County. Stoffa is also considering removing OT from department budgets completely. "I think sometimes it should be a separate line item and when you need overtime, you have to come and ask for it."
While this problem is still under review, The Express Times' Sarah Cassi published a list of the County's top ten earners in 2009. A Gracedale nurse was paid over $150,000, and a corrections officer pulled down $120,000.
This drove Council Prez Ron Angle over the edge at Thursday night's Council meeting, where he peppered Stoffa with lots of hard questions.
"How can you justify a prison guard making $156,000 a year, or whatever it was, and a nurse making close to that over at Gracedale?" asked the Bulldog. "Do you understand what the name of the game is? What kind of people do you have under you that didn't spot this happening within the first month or two of the year? These people realize your pension is determined on your three highest years. So they're getting ready to retire, they're not stupid, they hang on to the overtime, milk the cow and run their pension up. Where the hell is the people watching this?"
Stoffa: "I can't disagree with you. I don't like it either."
Angle: "Well, what's being done about that? It's outrageous to think taxpayers out there, who are on unemployment and barely hanging on, read in the paper we got people making $156,000 guarding prisoners and $148,000 - or whatever - taking care of bed pans."
Stoffa: "Well, there are reasons for it, and I will do my best to take care of it, that's what I will tell you at this point. I don't like it either."
Angle: "What's in place differently that this won't turn up in 2010?"
Stoffa: "It may turn up, but I hope that it won't."
Angle: "I don't want to know about your hope. I want to know that somebody's responsible for allowing that to happen ..."
Stoffa: "I'm responsible."
65 comments:
Stoffa or Maziotti or someone needs to somehow explain to the public how this happens and why it might or might not be fixed by next year.
Well that ends that. Because Stoffa says I am to blame, everyone coo's, "Isn't he wonderful, what a man". And the shit goes on and the shit goes on.
Problem is who cares what Stoffa accepts responsibility for. He is the most incompetent County Executive in the Nation. Christ, he and all his administrators should resign immediately.
At the very least Stoffa must demand and accept the resignations of the Director of Corrections and the Director of Human Services and get some people who know what the Hell they are doing and can make the tough calls.
This is ridiculous. Do any of these administrators even bother looking at their budgets?
Shameful, very shameful. There must be a few experienced people out there that know how to fix this. The current group is clueless!!
I have heard the mileage checks are also out of control, People, especially in Human Services, are gaming the system and making a lot of extra money.
Stoffa: "I'm responsible."
Uh, apparently not.
Actually, in most municipalities, the problem is much worse. Looks like only 3 or 4 people had excessive OT. I know that some changes have been made to cut down on OT, like at the jail, where 20 minutes of OT for a shift change have been cut down to 15.
Bernie,
This is unbelievable! $150 K for
a nurse salary? There's really no excuse for this. We know you really like Stoffa but Bernie, he sounds like he is not doing a very good job. He has no control nor knowledge of what's happening.
Bernie,
Can you imagine the new hires that might have been allowed a job and self-respect and possibly kept a home from foreclosure, if they had been hired?
Why doesn't Sarah do a tally of all communities overtime, i.e., police, fire, sanitation.
A few years ag, there wasa top ten salary news article, and nearly all of them were at the jail or Gracedale. In Easton and A-town, you find firemen and police officers getting these salaries.
What is unusual is that only about 4 of the top 10 are nurses and correctiions officers. It's actually a sign of some improvement.
The county has been trying to reduce OT, but it is human nature to try to game the system. You may as well ask people to stop breathing.
What if a shift has to be covered and no one is willing to do the OT but that nurse? What's your answer?
I don't know what the mandatory OT poicy is at Gracedale or the jail.
Anon 8:03, Don't understand your question. if you are saying that part of the answer is hiring more people, that is the Controller's answer at the jail.
Bernie,
For a nurse to earn an annual $150K, how many hours per week would she/he need to work?
Can you imagine Donald Trump allowing this? We're no brain heavy-weights, but why in the world wouldn't Stoffa demand
a daily overtime tally.
Anon 8:46, Not knowing her payscale, I have no idea.
"why in the world wouldn't Stoffa demand a daily overtime tally."
That's actually a pretty good idea. I'll pass it along.
John Stoffa is certainly not the first county exec to have paid nurses and COs big bucks in OT. It's hard to avoid in 24 hour operations. But a daily tally is one way of keeping an eye on things.
What if a shift has to be covered and no one is willing to do the OT but that nurse? What's your answer?
A temporary nurse hired through a licensed health care provider employment agency.
Haysoos Keyrice!
If he is truly willing to accept responsibility for not doing his job, he will tender his resignation.
I voted for this guy twice, shame on me. This isn't rocket science, overtime management is done at the line supervisor level, and my experience is that it should be approved in advance by someone with budget authority. After just a few instances, a directive would be issued prohibiting OT without such approval, with a salaried supervisor responsible for either managing through it or staffing himself to avoid OT.
Not good enough to say it is human nature to game the system. You'd be all over this like white on rice if this was anybody but Stoffa.
That is sad.
Anon 10:10, Do you really think you can get a temp nurse with one or two hours notice?
"You'd be all over this like white on rice if this was anybody but Stoffa."
Do you see anything about this exchange in the MC? How about the ET, which actually reported the top ten salaries? No, you see it here. If I were interested in protecting Stoffa at all costs, I would simply just not report it.
I like Stoffa and make no apology for that. He has restored honesty and integrity to local government, and that's no small accomplishment in NC. And I do think this is a problem that afflicts local government everywhere, not just in NC.
But if I were really interested in shielding him from some criticism over this or the failure to cross-train, I'd simply let it go and not write about it. Chances are very good that no one else would pick up on it, either.
I'm not interested in shielding Stoffa. I am interested in good government. While I think calls for his resignation are a tad silly, I do think he needs to pay closer attention to OT, or delegate to someone who will pay closer attention. I also think his answers to these concerns are inadequate, just as they were inadeqate when he was questioned about cross-training.
It can be cheaper to pay OT than to hire new employees. The training and benefits are extra costs of additional employees.
I know that some changes have been made to cut down on OT, like at the jail, where 20 minutes of OT for a shift change have been cut down to 15.
As usual Bernie, your facts are not correct. No changes have been made to this point, and when the change is made it will be reduced to 10mins.
At the 24hour operations they HAVE to fill the shifts, and sometimes with little notice.
What difference does it make if 20 people work 1 shift of OT or if one person works 20 shifts? It costs the same amount of money. Big deal and more power to those that are willing to work the hours.
It does not matter who works the shifts as I said, they will have to pay the money regardless works it.
If someone is getting OT, it is not the same amount of money, so it does make a difference. It's how some people take advantage of the system.
As far as shortening the shift overlap, the changes have been made, but cannot be imoplemented until the new contract is implemented, from what I understand, but the changes have been made.
Anon 11:39 - Good point. There are definitely "hidden costs" of training and benefits, but they should be known going into the budget process.
The fact that overtime is needed whiffs of bad budgeting on the front end.
They must know what sort of minimum staffing levels are needed for every hour of every day of the year. For every 2,080 manhours needed, thats one employee.
I know OT is unavoidable is certain instances, and that it can be ultimately cheaper, but if someone is doubling up their salary with OT, then somebody isn't doing their job correctly.
Angle has balls. County Council should pass a resolution saying that retirement should be factored on the base salary, not gross salary.
Unfortunately, rent-a-nurses (agency nurses) don't come cheap. Most make about $30-40 or more an hour. And the agency that sent them has to make a buck, so they charge a facility double that amount. So it may be cheaper in the long run to give OT to your own people than give to an agency.
This overtime and pension nonsense is what is killing places like Reading and Allentown. They need to be able to renegotiate these contracts.
"As far as shortening the shift overlap, the changes have been made, but cannot be imoplemented until the new contract is implemented, from what I understand, but the changes have been made."
Again, changes are coming. But the info you have put out is incorrect. You need to check your sources before you post information here.
An overtime shift is an overtime shift. It does not matter who works it, it needs to be filled no matter who does it.
Listen, I did not post a blog claiming that the shift differential has been shortened. I made a comment to that effect, and my comment is basically accurate. And the whole point of comments is so that someone who knows better or might be able to add something can come on here and do so. And you did that.
As far as it not mattering, you don't seem to understand that it does matter very much whether we are paying straight time or OT. hat's basically the whole point, and if you don't get that, I can't help you.
It's never cheaper than the many
extra thousands a year on the pension, which is what these thieves are up to.
Though I'd need to see the numbers, I'll bet a plan could be put together for an agency "coverage" nurse with a guaranteed minimum number of hours per week. The agency would worry about having someone on call.
Agency nurses don't qualify for public pensions, and a contract for a favorable rate can be worked out. So, if you end up with $40-50 per hour for an agency nurse, you are way, way ahead of the game.
Hey Bernie, quick note. The changes have been made but not implemented yet.
That is a classic Stoffa line, it means absolutely nothing. You have been around him too long. He is a master of using many soothing words to say nothing.
That is like saying we have returned men to the moon but we haven't launched them yet.
What the Hell???? You beat Stoffa on that line.
By the way, I don't think Stoffa should go but the Department Directors should be on top of this. It sounds like some Directors are sleeping at the switch. It is all about the numbers!
I've never even discussed this with Stoffa. I remember being told, by a department head, that the OT for shift changes has been reduced to cut down on OT. I was also told that this could not be unilaterally shoved down the throats of COs, and would have to be part of a new contract. So the changes had not been implemented, at least as of the time I spoke to this department head.
I don't think there's anything about this that is in any way misleading, except to those who just want Stoffa to fail.
That was just one of the items mentioned. Seeing the interest in this issue, I will contract the Stoffa administration, learn exactly what they are doing to minimize OT, and write a post about it.
I know that in 2008, the year covered by Barron's audit, the employee involved was a CO. Her supervisors were at the meeting where this was discussed and they indicated they knew very well that she was getting a lot of OT, but not many others wanted it.
What do you do? Penalize a supervisor for making sure that someone is there to watch the jail's residents?
Council has been aware of this problem since November.
Steve then suggested that the county hire more COs, but Stoffa did not seem enthusiastic about that option, and for good reason. That will definitely cost money while OT might be reduced.
I'll agree Stoffa gave inadequate answers to Angle on Thursday night.
"As far as it not mattering, you don't seem to understand that it does matter very much whether we are paying straight time or OT. hat's basically the whole point, and if you don't get that, I can't help you."
My point is most of the overtime worked is by people working over 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a week. Again at 24hour operations OT is a necessary evil.
Another fact being missed is if no one volunteers for the OT they are mandated to stay for OT. Again what does it matter who works it and how many they work. They will still be paying the OT rate to someone. That is a point you don't seem to be getting, and I can't help you with that. I think you need to educate yourself more on these departments before commenting.
Well, here's a little lesson.It DOES matter who the OT goes to because some people will use it to inflate their pensions. And guess who pays for that? We're not here to serve you. You're here to serve us. If tyou don't like that, get a job in the private sector, if anyone will hire you. And as someone noted earlier, base salary should be used for purposes of pension calculation, not salaries artificially inflated by bullshit OT.
"Council has been aware of this problem since November."
Now that statement is bullshit. And you know it. They've known about this for years. Now, let's see if they have the balls to do something.
That's fair.
Why vilify a worker that's playing by the rules? Blame the administration that agreed to a contract that had those provisions.
Wayne,
I'll villify them both. Too many public sector workers think we exist to serve them. I've dealt with it for a few years now. No administration drafts a union contract that it wants members to abuse so they can drive up their pensions. So yes, criticize the administration, but folks driving up their pensions are by no means innocent.
"And as someone noted earlier, base salary should be used for purposes of pension calculation, not salaries artificially inflated by bullshit OT."
Then have your big bad bulldog and your boy Stoffa fix it. I am not here to serve anyone, especially you. I am here to make a living for myself and my family. If the CBA or policy says I can use OT to increase my pension then I will. Why? Because I can.
If you are jealous of this fact then get a job in the public sector..if anyone will hire YOU!! Oh yeah you did have a job in the public sector......how did that work out for you?
Excuse me know I need to go work some OT.
Maybe the focus should be on the Administrators for not hiring enough staff, and Stoffa for not overseeing his Dept. Heads.....why should the worker suffer for doing what the worker is supposed to do.
The worker should not suffer for doing what he is supposed to do, and clearly, the admin needs to get a grip on this problem. But it is just as clear that some public sector employees have a "Fuck You" attitude and will game the system for every nickel they can squeeze out of the taxpayer.
The "I am not here to serve anyone" remark should alone be ebough to get that person fired for cause, union or not. This is the kind of person who will end up abusin a patient or mistreating a prisoner. The focus is all wrong.
So you go to work to please everyone else? Bullsh*t you go to make a living, and you do the best you can to do that. I don't know about you but I can do my job as described and directed without abusing anyone or anything. Again these workers are not in the wrong.
Any public sector employee who fails to recognize that he works for the rest of us and is a public servant, should be fired on the spot. We do not exist so they can fund two or three pensions with our money.
Speaking of multiple pensions. Maybe you should look at some of the people in power in the county.
Anyone who has worked in a shift operation were OT is needed is grateful to have people volunteer to work it. Without them others have to be forced to work more hours. And playing by the rules is not abusing the rules.
Well said Wayne, but it will fall of deaf ears because that is not what Bernie believes. Therefore you will be wrong and taking advantage of the system.
When an employee approaching retirement puts in lots of OT bc the others are "unavailable," that is gaming the system to drive up a pension, which is paid by all of us. So yes, Wayne's words do fall on deaf ears.
Bernie, maybe you should ask to go inside the workplaces in question and become familiar with their OT policies before you rush to blame someone for gaming the system.
Most places that have shift work have a policy. And most of the policies give all employees an equal opportunity to work the OT.
Now with the amount of employees that work at these sites that sure is a lot of string pulling to "game the system."
I don't mind your opinion, but at least educate yourself with the facts before jumping to conclusions.
It certainly is not as cut and dry as you want to make it. After all this has been a long standing problem with this County.
It is a loing standing problem, it is not cut and dry, but you and I both know there is gaming.
Again, if it was not available to be "gamed" they wouldn't be doing it. I am sorry, but I can't blame someone for wanting to make a better living for themselves, especially when they are with in their right to do so. I see your concern, but again it is available, and the OT will never go away.
So I see Barron is fueling his drive to be County Executive by kissing up to the unions with a bogus audit saying the County should hire more employees.
Wow, this guy better get a bit more experience before we hand him the County. OT is still cheaper by a long shot than a new hire. The new hire and family will get benefits, pay, and a job for life. So Mr. Barron suggests we solve a $100,000 problem by investing a $1,000,000 in a new employee.
Great management skills. Another pol on the make for a career in the public trough.
Anon 12:52 AM
That's the economics behind it for anyone who'll bother to listen.
Bernie, wanting too see someone fired for expressing themselves on a blog and insisting that following contract rules is wrong and "gaming"...
whatever
There are two different issues here. One, is overtime. Two, is the pension being tied to base salary and overtime. Simple answer for the politicians as I see it. Pension should be factored on base salary. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this out. Now, let the "Bulldog(?)" fix it. Introduce an ordinance to change it on the non-union side, then have Stoffa negotiate the union side and don't have County Council vote in favor of the contract until the provision is in.
First off the workers do contribute to the pension fund at a mandatory rate of 5% this is countywide,and can contribute up to 15%,anything above the 5% is put in voluntarily after taxes.Why in the hell are all the people who reply to this crap down on the workers? As for you Bernie how can you say workers take advantage of this after all they do not get this money for free,THEY WORK FOR IT!!!!! also the pension system is not a negotiable item in contracts!!SO LETS DEMONIZE ALL THEASE GOOD PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY HAVE JOBS AND GO TO WORK TO TAKE CARE OF THE BILLS THEY HAVE AND THE FAMILIES THEY ALSO HAVE GOD FORBID SOME ONE WORKS AROUND HERE.
This one is for Ronny Boy.You sit on the pension board now,maybe the people you have in charge of investing this money should be checked out and stop blaming the workers for actually working,why is that when the stock market was doing well you never heard a peep about overtime and pensions.The county went for years and never had to put monies into the fund,so when the market is down and you have to put money into the fund YOU RONNY BOY WANT TO CRUCIFY THE WORKERS.YOU ALS WANT TO KNOW HOW THIS HAPPENS,HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN ON COUNTY COUNCIL??ARE YOU REALLY THAT BLIND RONNY BOY(BULLDOG MY ASS)
1) Any public servant who states he is not here to serve the public, shuld be fired on the spot, even if the statement is made on a blog.
2) Nobody should be penalized for pbeing willing to work. But when a group of you get together and decide the OT is going here and there this year, that's gaming the system. That's not fair to the public you serve.
3) You cannot retroactively change a pension to decrease benefits, so the idea of calculating it on base will have to be something for new hires.
Bernie you are such an idiot. They don't sit around and decide where the overtime goes. The mandated OT goes to the next person on the list. PERIOD. Again educate yourself before you make comments on thing you clearly have no idea what I am speaking of.
That would be like me talking about an attorney that was disbarred. I am not educated enough to do so, so I don't bother.
Get the facts!!!!
Ahh, personal attacks. The last refuge of someone losing an argument.
I do have the facts. People "decline" to work OT and it goes to somoene beefing up his pension.
No you don't, if people want it they work it no matter who else wants it. If it is there turn to take it they can. It is not a random process. Again your source is incorrect. You may want to find a new one.
My last comment was not a personal attack it was an example.
"3) You cannot retroactively change a pension to decrease benefits, so the idea of calculating it on base will have to be something for new hires."
Not just new hires. Most non-union are managers who are not allowed overtime. So you are not decreasing benefits.
Hey bo there is not a group of people that get together and decide where the overtime goes,there is a call list that is used it goes from the top of the list to the bottom of the list so every employee gets a chance to work it if they want,alot of people choose not to work it and some choose to work it.Once again you dont have all the facts or know what your talking about!!
Yeah, there is a call list, and the idea is to allow people to use it to beef up OT and build up a nioce fat pension. Yipee!
BO THE OVERTIME IS NOT USED TO BEEF UP A PENSION THE OVERTIME IS TO FILL THE POSTS THAT NEED TO BE MANNED TO RUN THE PLACE ,IF NOBODY VOLUNTEERS THE OVERTIME WILL BE MANDATED AND SURE AS SHIT YOU AND OTHERS WILL STILL COMPLAIN ABOUT OVERTIME,PLEASE GET THE FACTS STRAIGHT BEFORE YOU RUN GOOD PEOPLE WHO WORK AND DO A GOOD JOB INTO THE GROUND.TYPICAL REPUBLICAN MOVE THANKS!!!
Anon 440,
Lets not waste our time, it is clearly people like you and I that keep this discussion going. I will refrain from further comment and if you do the same, this thread will be dead in no time.
O'Hare does not have a clue as to what happens and uses hearsay to spark a conflict. It is clear you know what goes on as well as I do. Again without the Anons O'Hare always whines about his blog is nothing, or else he would have disabled Anon a long time ago.
Oh yes he tried that and it lasted about 2 days. I hope you take my lead. THanks
Argh!
All you Anonymous look alike to me...
And Anonymous 440
I'm a dastardly evil Republican and I know you're correct, that contracts have to be honored, and just because you're paid by the government that doesn't mean "you're here to serve us" and should be fired if you say otherwise...
Just your typical Republican.
HEY BO check out how much the pension fund made last year,oh yeah the fund ONLY MADE 43 MILLION LAST YEAR STOP CRYING!!!!
And what is the defecit? What happens next year? You are fiscally irresponsible if you don't recognize what a stranglehold defined benefit pensions have been to municipal government everywhere.
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