According to the Albuquerque Journal, Governor Richardson has 760 "exempt" employees - over 500 in the executive branch alone. Richardson's exempts became one of the popular targets of legislators in the recent emergency session.
There are 760 exempt employees in New Mexico government — about 500 in executive branch agencies — and the number has risen sharply during Richardson's two terms in office.One of the fun things about a transition of power is the transition shakes things up and tends to expose a few things that have been heretofore almost impossible find out. Once such thing is a complete list of all of the city's unclassified employees and how much they make - a list that fell smack dab into the lap of one of our Eyes.
“The growth in exempt positions has been significant,” Cote said.
A similar proposal has also been introduced by Sen. John Ryan, R-Albuquerque.
Some legislators have criticized the growth in government spending under the Richardson administration — about 40 percent in the past six years — and the growth in exempt employee numbers in particular.
The city of Albuquerque has 1427 "exempt" - or as the city calls them - "unclassified" employees. Understand that a large number of these unclassified positions are part-time or seasonal and pay between $7.50 and $19 per hour. But there are 124 full-time positions in Marty's unclassified world that earn more than $50,000 a year that's over $15,000 more than the state's median income for a single wage earner (view it here).
Combined those top 124 unclassified positions cost us $5,098.21 an hour, $203,928.40 a week, and $10,604, 276 a year. If you thought the mayor was the top dog, you'd be wrong. The top three unclassified wage earners are CAO Ed Adams, Fire Chief Robert Ortega, and Chief of Police Ray Schultz at $147,742, $140,733 and $140, 733 respectively.
The mayor's pay - previously set by the council and soon by some "independent" committee - makes a paltry $109,325 and only ranks 14th on the unclassified pay scale. Councilors by contrast, are at the bottom of the 1400 plus list earning a meager $5.26 an hour (based on a 40 hour week).
There are currently 6 director's positions that are either vacant (like Jay Evans who skedaddled back to Open Space and reportedly took his director's pay with him) or have "acting" directors whose pay won't show up on the unclassified list. Included in the list is soon to be former Transit Director Greg Payne whose salary and job will continue until November 30th.
You may be wondering why all of this matters. It's not really surprising that Marty's Minions were making shall we say... healthy salaries. They certainly were and in some cases the job justifies their pay. In other cases such as a position like say... director of senior affairs (a job Marty's paying $107,910 for) is really hard to justify. Do you really want your senior affairs person making more than your economic development person, your HR manager, or the director of finances?
The more one analyzes the list of unclassified employees, the more you begin to see Marty's pattern of rewards for loyalty. Pay and responsibility often have nothing to do with one another.
Let's face it - there are some positions that will simply go unfilled if the pay isn't adequate. Take the city attorney's office for example. A good attorney can make upwards of $150 an hour. You can't just pay $35k a year and expect to fill the position - at least not with a competent attorney.
The point here is that Mayor-Elect Berry has an opportunity to save the city money by removing unnecessary positions and adjusting pay of necessary positions to more accurately reflect the position's responsibility.
A new mayor should have the opportunity to surround himself with people they trust and people that they feel are best qualified for needed city positions. After all, the mayor should and will be judged not only by his performance but the performance of those he surrounds himself with .
Mayor Berry has the opportunity to make some real structural changes to his unclassified list that will make government more transparent, more efficient, and save all of us money at a time when money is hard to come by.
50 comments:
Amen and hallelujah!
PIO John Walsh makes $90K+ and barely works a few hours a day and supervises NOBODY!!!
How many of these people are double dippers, already drawing the PERA pensions?
Name them EYE!
A good attorney can make way more than $150/hour! Wait...isn't Mayor Marty an attorney???
Why do we have to see it here first. Why has'nt the local media brought this out. No wonder why no one buys the paper anymore.
Does anyone know how much the deputy chiefs make? -get paid?
A QUOTA IS A QUOTA
This is why "King Marty" was unsuccessful in all his other political endeavors (governor, congress, senate, etc.) He feels as if he is unaccountable to the people, the employees and..... Someone who feels he can amend the term limits to suit his unaccountable career is no longer participating in democracy.
You know that all the captains at APD who have always supported Marty are unclassified! Take a look at the signatures (and $5) that John Walsh collected on duty, all the captains! That's a good place to start a house cleaning!!!!
Another lie about the required 2 DWI arrests. Yes they are min standards and they are quotas. The Sgt in the DWI was going to place officers on performance improvement plans if they did not get their two DWI's a night. So John Walsh gets on TV and says that they are not disciplined if they dont meet the two. This is a load of BS. It just goes to show how the administration of the 5th floor will continue to lie and skirt the truth. Again the 5th floor chooses which laws, regulations they choose to abide by. While everyone else abides by them all. Wow the entire 5th floor needs to be removed so we get some integrity back in this department
If all of the DWI patrol was re-assigned to arresting gangs 24/7 intstead of making their usual 2 arrests after per night, the only thing that would change is the amount of arrests made. There would not be any more or less fatalities on the streets of Albuquerque. If the DWI units were working during the day hours instead of sandbagging the bars after 10:00PM, they would also be looking for other work because they would not be making their designated quotas. It's easier to pull people over when there is no traffic. We are still decieved if we believe they are keeping anyone safe. As much money as they make, they are probably needed elsewhere.
To get back on track, I want to know why certain departments are filling their ranks with temporary workers. These people are not city employees, not even city temps., but through an agency that the city retains for extra workers to fill positions that are not going to be filled. That doesn't make sense. If the positions are not going to be filled, how can the administration justify filling these positions with temps. The library is staffed with 50% temporary workers.
Perhaps the Department of Senior Affairs should be moved back to Family and Community Services. This would eliminate(thus eliminating the salary) the "need" for a director, fiscal manager, HR manager and several division managers. Senior Affiars is management top heavey anyway. Mayor-elect Berry, do your homework, Senior Affairs would work just as well under Family and Community Services as it once was--Office of Senior Affairs. This Department was only created to have a place to put Blanca B. Hise to get (and I say get, not earn) that salary.
What about the AFD Deputy Chiefs, send them out to the field, they will resign. AFD is very top heavy with managment. Hell they even have an ISD division. A sworn fire fighter paid to clean a hard drive? What a waste of tax payers money.
Wait a minute on the $5 dollars, Beth Paiz and a few other Capts told Walsh to shove the 5 where the sun dont shine!
What's the $5 thing all about? Elaborate please. I'm a civilian and curious.
Where's the story about Greg Payne and his Viagra overdoses that caused the City to be involved in multiple sexual harrassment law suits. Who are the women? Are they transit employees? Are there any love childs?
Thanks Greg.
The taxpayers.
While we're talking about money. Which DC was it that moved the field to 5-8's with the idea of saving money and reducing response times for calls for service? I know he's short but can he please get over wanting to "reduce" everything to his level? The funny thing is his policy failed on both counts: OT costs went up and CFS times remained the same if not longer...
Which Deputy Chief was a big proponent of that/this debacle????
Because of all the misuse of funds seasonal and temporary workers have to be hired because the city can not afford union wages. If Berry takes a look at the ratio between the workers and the managers he'd see that the city is top heavy and what the city needs are workers to keep things functioning.
Double dippers need to go and the coruption needs to go; it's everywhere!!!
Every department needs to be looked at for ways to cut over expenditures. If that means managers have to go, so be it.
Beth Paiz for Chief of Police!
She's Hot !!!
Now that would shake things up, and quite honestly would make an excellent choice. Beth Paiz is a cops cop. Don't let anyone fool you, she smart and wouldn't have to worry about all the politics and that good 'ole boy bullshit on the fifth floor. I think this city is certainly ready for a women to lead this force.
So lets just stuff all that mucho, macho mocheesmo shit where it belongs; in the last century.
You go girl !!!!!
Beth who supported Marty?? Look at how much money Ron Paiz gave to Marty!
This whole thing really gets old.....Everyone knows that Ron Olivas does his own thing yet he's still here. Everyone knows that our pio HAMBY got her job by sleeping with everyone besides her poor fireman husband. Hell you can talk to Joe Esquibel and he'll tell you how NICE she was. It really sux that cops screw other cops who are married. It sux how the kids are the ones who have to pay for the fact that their mom cant keep their lips off another cops "gun" and how SGT's cause a family to split up and a mother to kill herself and then this SGT is just re-assigned. Fuc#@n Pull your head out people Dont spread you crappy standards to other familys.
AND DAMMIT RON OLIVAS JUST LEAVE. THE HEAT IS ON. DO LIKE YOU DID WHEN THE HEAT WAS ON WHEN YOU WERE IN THE GUARD....YOU QUIT. YOU SHOULD DO THE SAME NOW. CARMA IS A SON-OF-A-BITCH HUH.
LOOK AT LAWARANCE TORREZ BERRY
NOOOO not Beth, wed lose her as Commander and that would suck!
I heard Lawrence is tryign to get back into open space...
ummm did he do his ride alongs as a reserve to maintain his reserve status NO HE DID NOT.
its a new era, we arent going to stand for it Lawrence
YEA ON BETH GOOD CHOICE.
EVERYONE ON THE 5TH FLOOR LIES AND LIES AND KEEPS LIEING.JUST LIKE BARBOA AND HIS TEAM OF LIARS.
Ray Schultz and John Walsh need to go. Lets hope Mayor Berry does not listen to Darren White and leave Schultz as Chief of APD. Mayor, we voted for you so Ray Schultz and his cronies would be gone. Please don't let us down!!!!!
That's totally ture, I was at the Valley Sub and saw Walsh try to get Cmdr Paiz to sign his Marty form and get the 5 bucks. She told him she would not sign or give any money. She also asked him if he was on duty. I am not the only one that saw it. Walsh didn't even try to hide what he was doing. She also told him no other cops in the sub would sign it. Walsh bolted out of our sub! I heard she sent it up the chain, but as always, Chief Schultz covered it up. Not sure on this, but saw the first take place! Cmdr Romero knows. Way to go Cmdr Paiz.
What Walsh was doing on city time was illegal, however most other directors were doing the same for Marty. I hope Mayor Berry makes them pay.
In case you missed it Mayor Berry!
Please look into the city security unit because: Mark Shepherd is an at will employee, as well as his 4 LT's. With him, 10 sgts, 4 lts and 83 actual employees to do the work, there is obviously something wrong there. That is 5 employees to one supervisor! Especially when they are all driving brand new cars, trucks and in Mark's case, SUV... Why would he need an SUV? Must be for the weekend since he takes it home. During the day, it's never off the pavement. He traded in the one with shrink wrap for a plain unmarked one, why would that be? He doesn't do a lot of driving during the day, maybe just to City Hall and back, so maybe someone needs to check the mileage on it.
Why are the other city facilities paying for twice the officers than they actually have working at their facilities? Where is that money going? Why have the officers not had any training for the last 3 years, and yet all are carrying asps that are supposed to be re-qualified with every two years? Why have officers been given this equipment without ever having been trained at all? Why has there not been any training in street survival, verbal judo, cpr, first aid, or any of the skills these officers need?
Why, when it was proven that Mark lied on his application, Nick Bakas was a reference and on his hiring board, that he had none of the qualifications that he said he did, and there were two other candidates that scored higher than he did (even with his faked credentials), why, did the city (Marty) pay the other two off and keep him? That is our taxpayers money folks, (over 30k), pissed away on complaints that would have resulted in the firing of anyone else. Lying on your application is a biggie, and then continuing to lie about your qualifications in hearings? Perjury.
He is dirty. His Lt's that he has surrounded himself with are dirty. From time sheet fraud to harassment and creating a hostile work environment, it is something well worth looking into, and dismantling, from the top down. The officers do a great job considering what they have to work with, lack of training, lack of staff, (except management), lack of equipment, and being harassed, spied upon, (cameras in the two offices that have union officers working in them?) underpaid, and unappreciated. Promote from within, train, thin the management down to less than half of what there is, and hire more of the people that actually do the work. They are classified as public safety, should be hired as such, treated as such and paid as well. Give them the tools to do their jobs, they do a hell of a job now, can you imagine how well they would do if they had training, and equipment? Their management is dragging them under. Morale has never been lower, and the unit has never been this thin. Rather than call overtime they work the officers alone, jeopardizing their safety, "because we don't have the budget for OT". Yet, the departments are paying for more officers than they are getting, and each and every supervisor has their own car. That is 15 vehicles for a dept with 83 workers. Brand new. Not to mention the remodeling they did on their offices, and new office furniture computers etc for each one. Something is dirty there, and it starts at the top, and spreads from there.
Not only that, but due to his arrogance, the union that deals with him now is filing against him for prohibited practices, violating the contract in several sections for stopping the officer's bid on the 26th, threatening to discipline the officers for turning in P-30's, and screwing everyone's lives up. Then he puts out a memo saying the bid was "contaminated" which is a joke because the area in question was being done by one of his sgt's. If it was "contaminated" it was by his sgt, the union had nothing to do with the officers putting in their vacations, and had repeatedly refused to alter the officers vacation calendar. Is this his final fuck you to the unit because he is leaving? If that's true, we'll take it, as long as he's gone.
Beth would make an outstanding Chief. That's what APD needs right now-a cop who is not beholden to anyone & has the stomach to stand up to the good ol' boyz!
DOES DARREN WHITE HAVE BALLS?
Marty also had city workers at the Zoo doing the same...
Walsh stuts around like some insecure Nazi in his black leather shit.
A PIO making that kind of money?
I think not. Joe bowdich is another over paid and non essetial position. That's about $250,000 a year right there. get rid of these two positions for sure.
Let's see, probably only need one deuty Cmdr. Get rid of two. There's another 200 grand.
That was easy. 1/2 Million just found.
I know this site is mostly for 34's but I want to know why when the city is in the middle of a hiring freeze, why has the library just hired YET ANOTHER ASSISTANT DIRECTOR when a) it already has approx. 15 of them, and b) they say they can't hire clerical positions because they're "frozen"?
In particular there is a library that has about 7 "city" employees, the rest are temps. Is Admin. trying to "privatize" the library system in the city like it did with the convention center? It seems like when city workers leave, they are replaced with private sector people.
Here's an idea....maybe it's time NOW to do a confidence vote....
What are those secuirty officers always crying about? Get rid of them all and contract it. Save the city some money. They all dress like homeless boy scouts anyway.
I bet there using a city computer to do their bitching.
You've heard of the 'Blue Flu" ?
Well welcome to the 'Blue Screw"
Mayor Berry, all of the Field Officers I know are voting on this poll, ref the chief. We all want him gone as well as his 5th floor staff. Put Chiefs we can trust in power. Restore the trust,intergrity and confidence APD has lost under Chief Schultz and his deputy chiefs.
My my. And basing the analysis on "median income" is so rational. While were at it, why not talk about APD's HUGE pay raise in a tight budget, how that slammed five thousand OTHER city employees, and how much over the "median income" most police officers are these days.....
Pot calling kettle here I would say...
And as a median wage earner, I'm a little tired of ALL of you.
i'm tired of all of you too. and i'm tried of all the drunk driving firefighters and cops!!! it's sick!
nothing is going to change. everyone can complain all they want. nothing will change until you all shut it and start living true. stop the drunk driving, the b.s. and the games. just live, be true and if you are a good person, good will come back to you.
Solid waste can safely pick up trash with less people, parks and rec can mow the grass (and weeds, don't ask why the hell we mow medians' weeds) safely with less people, the libraries can sort books with less people and so on. APD and AFD provide critical services and need numbers to do the job safely. To do this, they get the raises first. If you don't like it, do something else. Getting a pension at 25 years to be a city employee is a good deal considering the job you're doing. If you want to whine about the police getting raises, sign up for the academy. They get a good salary that needs to be competative to draw good recruits. It's the same everywhere. I can't think of too many other city employees entrusted with the job of using violence if necessary to protect life.
It is interesting how the administration in the library has just hired an other (I can't believe this) assistant director. That makes 4 directors in just one building for just the library. They said they had the Mayor's permission to do this. Oh yeah, the lame duck mayor, not the real mayor. It brings to mind that episode of the Office (Brit version) of the REDUNDANT MANAGER...! :)
Huge pay raise? I must have missed something. I am getting about $1.50 an hour raise. Not bad. Oops. Except they are taking away longevity and it works out to around $0.15. Massive.
Lawrence Torres was moved back to open space..and allowed to keep his Employee Relations Director salary, in direct violations of rules & regs. Do a public records request, check it out.
SCHULTZ MUST GO AND IF YOU CAN WAKE BOWDICH TAKE HIM TO. WHOEVER SAYS SCHULTZ IS RUNNING A TIGHT SHIP YOU MUST BE ONE OF HIS BOYS
The people that Marty gave the pay increases to and who are young and not facing retirement will still draw that salary no matter where they are "reassigned" to. Marty really screwed the rest of us over. Not enuf money to hire real workers because all the money is going to his lame overpaid friends.
I hope the officers have enough sense to never take a call with Lawrence Torres. Not that he takes calls, but.... Remember, if he's your 2nd unit dispatched, have a friend volunteer and cancel him. If your his back-up, stop that driver that's all over the road. Send the message load and clear that he is an untrustworthy P.O.S. and not welcomed! Take APD back from the politicians and backstabbers. Everyone who is in the know realizes APD is not a tight-knit "cop fraternity". More like every man for himself and screw anyone to get ahead.
All city departments are a mess right now. Certain departments are run exclusively by temps. I had to track someone down on the 3rd floor the other day because none of my "coworkers" could answer the question I had about filling out my timesheet. When I asked them a question about the pay period they all looked at me like I was nuts and said "Duh, the pay period is Monday thru Friday". Then I explained that I actually was hired by the City, in other words, I was an actual City employee. They still had that deer in the headlight look.....it's like night of the living dead in this building. Not a real city worker to be found...
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