Politics on the Hudson

As the state looks to curb costs in the face of a weakening economy, state workers continue to rack up overtime pay, a review of state records shows.

Overtime costs among the state’s nearly 400 agencies jumped by more than $66 million between 2005 and 2007, a 16 percent increase, and some state workers have more than doubled their salaries because of the state’s generous overtime.

The top beneficiary in 2007 was a nurse at the Rochester Psychiatric Center, according records provided by the state Comptroller’s Office. Mei Kuei Lin brought in $113,282 in overtime in 2007, more than double the nurse’s $61,757 salary.

The top five overtime recipients in the state in 2007 were workers at the state’s psychiatric centers, which unions say have been woefully understaffed.

Overall, state overtime soared to $481 million in 2007, from $437 million in 2006 and $415 million in 2005.

State Police had the largest amount of overtime in each of the past three years, with $43 million in 2007. Yet that was down from $52 million in 2006, records show.