By Della Hasselle
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — Despite Governor David Paterson's vow to rope in state spending, New York spent $299 million on overtime alone this year.
That's $22.4 million, or about 8 percent, more than last year's overtime total, the Daily News reported.
Thirteen state employees vastly exceeded their base salaries in overtime. The overtime leader, a psychiatric-treatment assistant named Robert Henry, has raked in $1 million in overtime in a little over a decade, according to the News.
It's a "system that's there to be taken advantage of," E.J. McMahon of the Empire Center for Public Policy told the News. "The system is designed to provide overtime for those who want it."
Most of the top overtime recipients work at psychiatric hospitals, the News found. The Office of Mental Health spent 10.8 percent more on overtime this year than last.
Other massive overtime expenditures come from the prison system, up 22 percent; the Developmental Disabilities Services (up 14.9 percent); the state university system (13.1 percent), and the court system (9 percent), the News reported.
Critics say that budget cutbacks are responsible, as fewer staff members are forced to work more hours. But some officials argue that the expenses are crucial for the state to sustain.
"Overtime is necessary to maintain quality care," Office of Mental Health spokeswoman Jill Daniels told the News.
