Clifton Park keeps OT costs low
Reliance on outside law enforcement cuts town's expense
By TIM O'BRIEN Staff Writer
Published: 12:00 a.m., Tuesday, January 18, 2011

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CLIFTON PARK -- Clifton Park's overtime costs pale compared to its urban and suburban neighbors.

That's because unlike other municipalities, Clifton Park does not have its own police force and all its firefighters are volunteers. Public safety is usually the driving force behind overtime numbers, and Clifton Park delegates its law enforcement to the State Police and Saratoga County Sheriff's Office.

For 2010, the town spent a total of $139,532.73 in overtime. Its top earner, a highway department worker, earned $8,018.16 in overtime. While that's not a bad chunk of change for an employee, it pales in comparison to other communities.

In Colonie, for example, the top overtime earner took home $35,244.12 in extra pay and the town spent $2.6 million in overtime. Colonie, with more than twice Clifton Park's population of roughly 36,000, has its own police force.

In Troy, the city paid $2.5 million to its top 25 overtime earners, with a detective receiving the most at $43,653. All but one of Troy's top recipients works in the police or fire departments.

Clifton Park Supervisor Phil Barrett said his town pays a total of $945,000 for law enforcement.

"We contract for our policing with the county and with the State Police for personnel who only work in Clifton Park," he said. The town also employs some part-time and full-time security officers who can write tickets but do not carry weapons. Those costs are included in the $945,000 figure.

State Police and the Saratoga County Sheriff's Office include an estimate of overtime in calculating how much to charge the town, Barrett said. That does not show up as extra pay in the town budget.

"The nice part is we have a contract where they factor in all the costs," he said. "That's what we're charged for. We also give them free space in our public safety building. There is still costs involved with the town's policing program. It is far less then it would be if we had a Clifton Park police force. In my mind, we have a great police force. If we were to go in that direction, it would be much, much higher than it is today."

The town's direct overtime costs mainly come from three departments: buildings and grounds, the highway department and the transfer station.

Snow removal is the biggest overtime expense in the town, Barrett said. Crews are also paid overtime for setting up and cleaning up after events like the annual Fourth of July celebration.

Reach Tim O'Brien at 454-5092 or at tobrien@timesunion.com.





The top overtime earners for 2010 in Clifton Park and their total pay are:

1) Gerald Oakes, Highway Department, $8,018.16, $71,081.61.

2) Thomas Nadler, Buildings and Grounds, $7,271.17, $49,968.17.

3) Patrick Gibbins, Buildings and Grounds, $6,930.01, $46,806.01.

4) James Strozyk, Highway, $6,083.44, $65,324.44.

5) Daniel Clemens, Buildings and Grounds, $5,751, $52,525.

6) Rick Sciocchetti, Buildings and Grounds, $5,732.74, $43,585.74.

7) John Dworak, Buildings and Grounds, $5,230.99, $67,683.99.

Ronald Croce, Highway, $5,136.92, $62,084.99.

9) John DeSimone, Transfer Station, $5,045.47, $45,002.47.

10) Dominique Fraser, Buildings and Grounds, $4,955.20, $46,123.20.



Extra income

The top overtime earners for 2010 in Clifton Park and their total pay are:

1) Gerald Oakes, Highway Department, $8,018.16, $71,081.61.

2) Thomas Nadler, Buildings and Grounds, $7,271.17, $49,968.17.

3) Patrick Gibbins, Buildings and Grounds, $6,930.01, $46,806.01.

4) James Strozyk, Highway, $6,083.44, $65,324.44.

5) Daniel Clemens, Buildings and Grounds, $5,751, $52,525.

6) Rick Sciocchetti, Buildings and Grounds, $5,732.74, $43,585.74.

7) John Dworak, Buildings and Grounds, $5,230.99, $67,683.99.

Ronald Croce, Highway, $5,136.92, $62,084.99.

9) John DeSimone, Transfer Station, $5,045.47, $45,002.47.

10) Dominique Fraser, Buildings and Grounds, $4,955.20, $46,123.20.



Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/default/article/Clifton-Park-keeps-OT-costs-low-961826.php#ixzz1BP1b44Ld

I'm sure Clifton Park envy's Rotterdam for allowing a Town Clerk to earn $50K and working something like 20 hours for the YEAR!  I picture Eunice in Florida laughing all the way to the bank as her Democrat cheerleaders praise her "service" attempting to rescue her reputation.


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Sure seems like Clifton Park is doing something wrong --- they are paying way to much in overtime to all
those employees.    They need better planning.

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

Sure seems like Clifton Park is doing something wrong --- they are paying way to much in overtime to all those employees.    They need better planning.

Right....let them take some cues from Schenectady? Somehow Clifton Park is an area of low crime, lots of tax paying businesses and a place where families want to put there children in the school system. Oh, and their taxes are three times less than that of Schenectady residents. I mean, they are not afraid that they'll lose their homes because they can't pay the tax bills.

Schenectady is the laughing stock. Some from out of schenectady admit that they will come to proctors for a good show. But they get in and get out as soon as they can.

And the gin mills/restaurants say that the only way they survive is when proctors has a show. And their main customers are the 'cast and crew' of the show.

Quoted from rachel72

Right....let them take some cues from Schenectady? Somehow Clifton Park is an area of low crime, lots of tax paying businesses and a place where families want to put there children in the school system. Oh, and their taxes are three times less than that of Schenectady residents. I mean, they are not afraid that they'll lose their homes because they can't pay the tax bills.

Read my quote carefully -- I said -- if you look at those overtime numbers -- they have a problem with
overtime.     All those employees adding about 10% to their annual pay in overtime ????    That is poor
planning.  

Oh -- and you city folks are paying for Clifton Park's state troopers  through your income tax -- so don't be so happy that they are too cheap to have a police department.

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

Sure seems like Clifton Park is doing something wrong --- they are paying way to much in overtime to all those employees.   They need better planning.

Unlike Schenectady? What a laugh. Maybe Mayor SOS' "brain trust" of Rotterdam residents can next advise Clifton Park? They can show how to go from a surplus to $13 MILLION deficit in one year when the State cuts one million in aid. The City is borrowing again in 2011 to meet operating expenses. Nothing improves with the DEM implosion gang.

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

Read my quote carefully -- I said -- if you look at those overtime numbers -- they have a problem with
overtime.     All those employees adding about 10% to their annual pay in overtime ????    That is poor
planning.  

Oh -- and you city folks are paying for Clifton Park's state troopers  through your income tax -- so don't be so happy that they are too cheap to have a police department.

He is CORRECT! In Schenectitty the pubic employees can game it so they get 50-90% added! DUHHHHHHH! When you only support the pubic employee unions down the line and have nothing but a King-Kong sized middle finger for the taxpayer like DummocrapicVoodoo has, that is your first concern!

Quoted from GrahamBonnet

a King-Kong sized middle finger for the taxpayer ....

I think that sums up Schenectady to a tee!

Someone needs to post the OT figures for Schenectady. There was a plumbing supervisor making 150K plus benies if I recall. Cops with 2 year degrees making more than post doctoral scientists in industry, Clerical workers tripling the county median income. Give us a BREAK, you LIAR!

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

Read my quote carefully -- I said -- if you look at those overtime numbers -- they have a problem with
overtime.     All those employees adding about 10% to their annual pay in overtime ????    That is poor
planning.  

Oh -- and you city folks are paying for Clifton Park's state troopers  through your income tax -- so don't be so happy that they are too cheap to have a police department.

Uh, and can you explain Schenectady's OT?????    And the OT SECRETLY AND ILLEGALLY getting paid to a person ineligible for OT by state law?  

Explain DV, how come the taxes in CP are substantially less than Schenectady and that's done WITHOUT metroplex???????   Huh?????