Last year, Mayor Ashton Hayward proposed, and the Pensacola City Council approved, a budget for this fiscal year that had $298,900 for overtime for the Pensacola Fire Department. According to the unaudited monthly financials on the city’s website, the city has spent through May 31 $391,961.96 on overtime – $93,062, or a 31 percent, cost overrun.
Mayor Hayward has gotten the city council to adjust the budget up to $439,894, but Chief David Allen has only $47,932 left in his budget to cover June-September 2016.
How much of the overtime was allowed after Chief Matt Schmitt and Deputy Chief Joe Glover were placed on paid administrative leave? $137,313 total, an average of $34,328 per month.
At that rate, Chief Allen may have already spent the remainder of his OT budget, unless Mayor Hayward amends it again.