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Fla. county pays millions in overtime to EMS workers

By Ryan Lengerich
The News Press

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Lee County’s administrators and elected officials are paying millions in taxpayer dollars for employees to work beyond 40 hours a week.

Officials are struggling to hold down overtime pay as tightened budgets have left work staffs depleted.

Local governments in Lee County paid almost 2,500 employees about $9.4 million in overtime during the 2008 fiscal year. Most came from an understaffed public safety department where overtime is largely built into paramedic and emergency personnel contracts.

Full story: County paid $6.2 million in overtime to EMS, paramedics, and communications officers