Police Chief Anthony Holloway told the committee, which met with most Board members present, that the department has spent $895,000 in overtime pay to officers, with the original allowed amount standing at $616,000 for the year.

Holloway asked for an $88,000 grant intended for 911 services to be transferred into the overtime account.

"We have no choice but to do the transfer," Alderman-at-Large Bill White said. "But come budget time we'll have to look at (overtime pay). That's the highest we've had in a while."

Holloway said overtime will continue to increase in order to fill patrols left vacant following a round of layoffs from the Mayor's office, which included four police officers among 20 other city positions. He estimated the department spends $3,500 on overtime each week.

Also at issue was the city's possible obligation to foot the bill for pay increases as an incentive for police to get further training, a program known as the Quinn Bill.

The Board was at first led to believe they had a choice in voting whether to approve a measure implementing a possible $579,170 increase in its share of the funding, then told that it was a non-negotiable result of the recent Patrolmen's Union contract negotiations.

Several aldermen said they were unsure about what the contract entailed and what the final cost to the city could be, asking for more information and implying the negotiation process may have to start again.

"To have this negotiated without knowing what the final cost is going to be was premature," Ward 5 Alderman Sean O'Donovan said.

Both items were tabled for the next Finance Committee meeting, with aldermen requesting more information on overtime pay and asking for a possible executive session discussion on the union contract.

The committee will meet on June 10.