Port Authority Overtime Skyrockets

Overtime payouts to employees at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey have dramatically outpaced projections during the first three months of 2013.

Most of the increase for non-police employees is blamed on continuing cleanup from Superstorm Sandy and a higher-than-usual number of snowstorms that affected area airports.

Non-police employees were paid 309,000 hours in overtime in the first quarter of 2013, or 30 percent higher than the projected amount of 237,000 hours. Port Authority officials blamed 14 separate snow events at JFK and La Guardia and 11 at Newark, compared to 5 and 6, respectively, a year ago.

Port Authority police received 239,000 hours in overtime during the first quarter, nearly one-third over the budgeted amount of 182,000 hours.

Officials say that's partly because of unfilled vacancies.

(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)