Govt spends average of $8M in overtime, benefits a year

Since Fiscal Year 1997 to 2004, the CNMI government has spent an average of $8 million a year in overtime costs, with FY 1997 posting the highest figure at $12.38 million and FY 1999 the lowest at $4.8 million, according to documents obtained by the Saipan Tribune.

For the current fiscal year covering the period from October 2004 to April 2005, the government has spent a total of $4.52 million in overtime payments. Including fringe benefits, the government’s total expenses have reached $5.7 million in FY 2005.

Finance Secretary Fermin Atalig emphasized, though, that the totals for FY 2004 and 2005 are preliminary and unaudited.

Among the big spenders, the Department of Public Safety consistently ranks as the government’s top spender for overtime pay since 1997.

Records obtained through the Open Government Act by the Saipan Tribune show that DPS, which currently complains of acute personnel shortage, spends an average of $3 million every year in overtime obligations.

In FY 2004, DPS spent $3.4 million for overtime; in FY 2003, $2.9 million; in FY 2002, $2.8 million; FY 2001, $3 million; FY 2000, $2.8 million; FY 1999, $2 million; FY 1998, $3.5 million; and FY 1997, $3.7 million. For FY 2005, the department has so far spent $2.1 million.

Atalig said that overtime expenditures by the Department of Corrections are included under the DPS. It was only late last year that Corrections was created as a separate department, apart from DPS.

Last year, authorities acknowledged that the government incurs substantial overtime costs due to the accumulated overtime work rendered by personnel and officers of various agencies, especially during and after typhoons. At least two major typhoons hit the NMI last year.

In FY 2004, total government expenses for overtime and benefits amounted to $9.2 million; in FY 2003, $6.8 million; in FY 2002, $5.9 million; in FY 2001, $7.8 million; in FY 2000, $6.9 million; in FY 1999, $4.8 million; in FY 1998, $10.5 million; and in FY 1997, $12.4 million.

In terms of overtime cost due to typhoon, the Governor’s Office has spent $395,767 in FY 2005; $521,176 in FY 2004; $27,846 in FY 2003; $258,363 in FY 2001; $36,903 in FY 2000; $511 in FY 1999; $184,828 in FY 1998; and $78,459 in FY 1997. There was no typhoon overtime in FY 2002.

Overtime spending of various departments totaled $3.8 million in the current fiscal year and $6.1 million in FY 2004.

Records showed the following spending in FY 2004:

* DPS, $3.4 million;
* Department of Public Health, $1.2 million;
* Division of Immigration, $340,600;
* Department of Finance, $331,512;
* Department of Labor, $127,255;
* Department of Community and Cultural Affairs, $114,492;
* Emergency Management Office, $47,497;
* Department of Lands and Natural Resources, $33,194;
* Department of Commerce, $9,522; and
* Office of the Governor, $1,733.

The documents showed zero or no entries for the Legislature, Washington Representative’s Office and the Judicial Branch for the current fiscal year. For previous fiscal years, entries indicated zero or negligible overtime payments.

For FY 2005 up to April this year, DPS has spent $2.1 million; DPH, $775,062; Finance, $259,021; Immigration, $140,701; Labor, $99,439; DCCA, $9,144; and Commerce, $452.

Board and commissions have spent $18,488 so far for overtime in FY 2005 and $24,338 in FY 2004.

Saipan and Northern Islands municipal mayors and councils have spent $2,922 in overtime costs in FY 2005 and $2,117 in FY2004.

Rota spent a total of $923,122 in FY 2004 and $439,731 so far in FY 2005. Tinian spent $308,588 in overtime costs in FY 2004 and $241,643 in the first seven months of FY 2005.