Long Beach cuts overtime by 73 percent

In its continuing efforts to rein in spending, Long Beach has cut overtime in the most recent pay period by 73 percent compared with the same period in 2011, according to City Manager Jack Schnirman.

A City Council report shows the city doled out around $26,000 in overtime in the two-week pay period ending Feb. 17, compared to about $97,000 in the same time period the year before. It also shows overtime has declined by 72 percent since Jan. 20.

"The old saying goes: measurement is management," Schnirman said. New policies requiring departments to get overtime preapproved by his office have reduced overtime requests, he said.

"By making it clear to departments that we're holding folks accountable and that we're going to be really scrutinizing all overtime . . . H> the requests for overtime have dropped dramatically," Schnirman said.

John Mooney, president of Civil Service Employees Association unit 7569 in Long Beach, said he sent a memo to department heads in December when the city announced it would have to borrow to make payroll. The message: Get ready to tighten the belt.

Mooney said mild winter weather has reduced overtime typically spent on snow removal.

Overtime has shrunk in emergency services, too, said Bill Piazza, president of International Association of Fire Fighters Local 287. He credited scheduling changes and the addition of three new Westchester Career Fire Academy graduates for the decrease in overtime demand, and said the fire department hasn't recorded overtime in "probably the last solid month."

Police Benevolent Association president Stefan Chermaski did not return calls for comment.