A city audit has found widespread abuse by Mayor Tim Keller in hiring unclassified at-will employees and the allocation of pay increases. The audit as reported by PeteDinelli.com also reported Keller increased unclassified job positions by 45%.
The audit found salary increases between 22% and 368% for unclassified senior management executives appointed by Keller. The audit also showed no job descriptions for executive staff, no resumes, no background checks, no minimum qualification, no performance goals, no performance evaluations, no pay ranges, conflicts of interest, and pre-determined hiring with only one applicant.
The special audit was ordered by the City of Albuquerque’s Accountability in Government Oversight Committee and conducted by the Office of Internal Audit (OIA). Titled the City’s “Hiring Practices Involving Unclassified Employees," the audit was released on October 19, 2022.
The executive summary said the City’s use of unclassified positions increased by 97% percent, from 314 to 620, in the period of Fiscal Year 2015 to the Fiscal Year 2022. The increase was well more than the 14% increase in the City’s total funded full-time employee positions.
During that period, 83 employees moved from classified to unclassified positions, and received salary increases between 22% and 368%, several senior management and deputy director employees received salary increases. This happened even though their job duties for these positions did not change, and the increases were not based on their job performance. The majority didn't have a record justifying the increase, and none of the employees tested had a completed performance evaluation on file during the period.
Furthermore, even though it's required, job descriptions were not created for 53% of unclassified positions tested for which annual salaries totaled $4.3 million, the audit said. In addition, only 21% of positions tested had an application and/or a resume on file related to the position, and only 13% had evidence demonstrating verification that the applicant met the minimum requirements. While nine positions were publicly advertised, only four had a record of being interviewed."
The audit continues pointing out that 67% had neither a Background Investigation Disclosure and Consent Form nor a Release of Liability & Felony Identification form on file. Without job descriptions, it is uncertain whether unclassified positions were created to validate paying some employees higher salaries though their job duties and responsibilities were similar in complexity to that of existing classified positions.
The audit suggested the results could imply the administration is less than honorable. “This, along with the inconsistencies in hiring practices, may perpetuate the perception that the City’s hiring process for unclassified positions is unfair and susceptible to favoritism, both of which can impact the City’s ability to hire and retain talent,” the audit said.
The Accountability in Government Oversight Committee made recommendations, based on the audit. It advised the City Administration to continue efforts to conduct a classification and compensation study; evaluate whether provisions of the Merit Ordinance should be modified to be better reflective of the City’s current hiring activities; enhance collection and maintenance of classification detail for budgeted and filled positions; require that requests for pay adjustments for employees in unclassified positions be supported by a written justification explaining the business need for the salary increase; develop policies to ensure that salaries for the unclassified positions are not greater than that to which the employee would be entitled under the City’s classified pay plan or benefits schedule, and develop policies to prevent the creation of unclassified positions to validate paying employees higher salaries when their job duties and responsibilities were similar in complexity to that of existing classified positions.