In recent months, the Montevideo City Hall (IMM) has been at the center of a controversy that highlights a structural problem in public spending management: the exorbitant payment of overtime to its employees.
In 2023, according to data obtained through public information access requests, the IMM allocated approximately US$10 million to more than 826,000 overtime hours, an amount that has caused indignation among citizens and criticism from various political sectors.
This case not only reflects inefficient administration, but also a disregard for the principles of fiscal responsibility and taxpayer accountability, essential for a free and prosperous society.
Evolution of the amount of overtime
On one hand, spending on Sunday overtime (orange line) remains more stable, fluctuating between 4 and 6 million pesos during the period, with a slight increase toward 2023. This stability suggests that Sunday hours have not experienced drastic changes in their allocation, unlike extraordinary services.
Regarding the number of hours, there was an increase from 788,299 to 882,061 hours from 2022 to 2023, almost 100,000 more hours, without a perceived increase in the quantity and quality of services provided by the IMM.
These data reflect the need to review personnel management policies in the Montevideo City Hall, as the sustained increase in overtime spending could impact the municipal budget and indicate a reliance on this mechanism to cover operational needs.
Criticism from the opposition
One of the candidates for Municipal Mayor of Montevideo from the Republican Coalition, Martín Lema, one of the most critical voices on this issue, has denounced that between 2020 and 2024 the IMM paid more than 3.4 million overtime hours, with an accumulated cost exceeding US$35 million in five years.
