Dispatcher Paid More Than Mayor in 2010

The city of Rochester (NY) spends 60 percent of its budget on wages and other personnel costs, including $133,200 paid to a single dispatcher during 2010, more than even the city’s mayor made. Dispatcher James Felice boosted his usual salary by earning $80,000 in overtime last year, despite the city’s attempt to reduce overtime and make other cutbacks in the face of a $50 million budget deficit. Besides Felice, 113 other city employees made over $100,000, payroll records note. The city’s 911 center tallied 27,000 hours of overtime during 2010, paying out about $1.1 million. The center expects dispatchers will work 24,000 hours of overtime during 2011. Director of emergency communications John Merklinger says Felice logged over 2,200 hours of overtime during both 2009 and 2010, more than the 2,048 hours of regular time he worked. “The reality is, it’s cheaper to pay that overtime than to hire temp employees and pay the benefits and everything else,” Merklinger told a reporter. He said overtime is offered on a first-come, first-served basis, and the city can’t limit how much overtime a dispatcher may work. He added that the center is understaffed because 10 employees were working on computer upgrades. Read about the payroll situation here.