Fort Myers employees face payroll delays as new system experiences glitches

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Fort Myers city employees experienced payroll delays Thursday as the city's new Oracle payroll system encountered technical difficulties during its second implementation.

City Council member Fred Burson says he'll advocate for returning to the old system if issues persist.

The delays left some employees concerned about upcoming bills, with many relying on their paychecks to cover weekly expenses. City Council member Fred Burson said he spoke with City Manager Marty Lawing about the situation and expressed frustration over the system's performance.

"They're all disappointed that the checks weren't deposited electronically, like they normally are early this morning," Burson said. "A lot of those employees need it on a weekly basis just to survive, and a lot of them still haven't gotten it."

The city implemented the new Oracle payroll system two weeks ago, with the first pay period proceeding without issues. However, the second payroll cycle on Thursday experienced significant problems that delayed electronic deposits for city employees.

"We should have done a better job of testing the new system before we implemented it," Burson said. "It was sloppy at best not to have done so, and it's a big inconvenience to all the city employees."

City employees are paid every two weeks. Burson said Lawing assured him that all employees would receive their pay by the end of Thursday, rather than the typical earlly morning deposit time.

The city issued a statement Thursday morning saying all employees, including police and fire personnel, were scheduled to receive payment "per usual; just a bit later than accustomed to." The statement attributed the delay to new year tax changes and the Monday holiday, which created a compressed schedule for payroll processing.

By early Thursday afternoon, a city spokesperson confirmed that most employees had been paid, with timing dependent on individual banks.

FOX 4 received an update from the city around 5:30 p.m. Thursday stating that Bank of America, the city's banking partner, confirmed all deposits were processed as of midnight Wednesday night. The city said it had not been alerted to anyone who didn't receive pay for their last two weeks of service.

Burson warned that if the Oracle system continues to malfunction, he will advocate for returning to the previous payroll system.

"If the new system doesn't correct itself, then I'll advocate going back to the old system," Burson said. "There's supposed to be an upgrade and make it more convenient, easier, more accurate, and if it's not accomplishing those things, then why make the change?"

The 76-year-old council member expressed empathy for affected employees, particularly those supporting families on tight budgets.

"My financial situation is a lot different than those that are raising a family," Burson said. "They need to be paid, and they need to be paid now."

If the payroll issues persist into the next pay period, Burson said the matter will likely be addressed at a city council meeting to express the council's dissatisfaction with the system's performance.

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