King County sheriff explains millions in unearned pay

King County sheriff deputies have been overpaid for nearly five years, adding up to millions of taxpayer dollars. Sheriff John Urquhart says “everybody” knew about it.

“There’s nobody to alert because everybody knows,” Urquhart told The Dori Monson Show. “It’s no secret … it’s not the deputy’s fault. They are just cashing their paycheck. In the scheme of things, for an individual it’s a relatively small amount. It doesn’t jump out at them and look like extra money. But when you add up the number of officers, and the amount of overtime my guys work, it’s a lot of money at the end of the day.”

RELATED: Sheriff Urquhart says “Black Lives Matter”

As Urquhart explains it — and as the county auditor explained to him — a new payroll computer system was put in place in 2012. That system hasn’t been able to accurately calculate overtime. So the county opted to pay an “enriched” amount. Instead of risking underpayment for overtime, it paid slightly more than the OT rate. Since 2012, the over payments to deputies have added up to around $5.5 million.

The King County Auditor’s report details the over payment issue a bit differently than the sheriff. It notes that the King County Sheriff’s Office relies heavily on overtime hours instead of hiring additional deputies and paying benefits. According to the report, the county paid one rate for overtime prior to 2012 when it was unable to accurately calculate the pay. After 2012, it was able to make this calculation. Two different overtime rates — before and after 2012. The problem is that after 2012, the county kept paying the old rate and the new rate for overtime hours. Deputies received about 11 percent more pay as a result.

“This is the King County payroll system that takes the hours we give them, calculates the overtime rate, writes the check and pays the deputies. That’s what’s going on,” Urquhart said.

“Overtime is time and a half; in the union contract that is pretty much standard,” he said.

Urquhart notes that the problem is not rooted in the King County Sheriff’s Office. Rather, it stems from the county payroll department. He said many have been aware of the problem, as well as the solution (enriched overtime) that the county has favored over the past few years.

“Now just remember that is just for the sheriff’s office. The jail was being over paid as well,” Urquhart said. “Apparently, they’ve fixed that. And the auditor said today, in a council hearing, that there may be other county departments that are paid the enriched rate as well … I’ve said fix it. Everybody has said fix it, it just hasn’t gotten fixed.”