Cost Up For San Clemente's Contract With Sheriff's Department

The San Clemente City Council on Tuesday approved an $11.87-million contract with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department to provide policing for the city in 2011-12.

Lt. Paul D’Auria, head of police in San Clemente, said the contract is about $149,000 more expensive than last year’s contract.

Patricia Bello, the county-level sheriff’s official who handles contracts, told the council Tuesday that

Under the current contract, deputies can’t claim time-and-a-half overtime pay during pay periods in which they took paid leave, unlike in the past contract.

Bello said that the new provision is saving San Clemente more than $28,000, while another provision that calls for deputies to contribute 5 percent into their retirement fund will save an additional $88,000.

Bello said San Clemente deputies work about 200 hours of overtime per year, but most of that was back-filling open positions or filling in for officers on sick or vacation leave.

Back-filling with employees on overtime is cheaper than hiring more deputies, officials say.