Three inspector general reports released; others still held up
Apr. 20—For the second time in the past month, a volunteer citizens committee has put off the public release of investigations into allegations of misconduct or malfeasance completed by the city of Albuquerque Office of Inspector General.
The city's Accountability in Government Oversight Committee recently approved three of nine completed OIG investigative reports, deferring until May six others that have been reportedly ready for public release for months. The committee's meetings are closed to the public under city ordinance.
Inspector General Melissa Santistevan didn't return a Journal phone call last week, but had urged the committee in a public notice to release all nine reports.
Santistevan's four-year contract is up for renewal in June, but the city is soliciting applicants for the job.
Under city ordinance, once the committee receives an investigative report from the OIG, it can approve, defer until the next meeting or vote not to approve the report. Unless deferred, the reports become public.
Santistevan in early April published a notice that the pending reports "deal with fraud, waste, or abuse that impact our City. Some of these reports have been completed for months without citizen awareness."
The chairperson of that committee posted an online response that its members identified "multiple concerns regarding the quality of the reports and the underlying investigations."
The committee, which also oversees the city auditor, wants to ensure "the accuracy and the quality of published reports," wrote Victor Griego, a CPA who chairs the committee.
The three investigations released April 14 after approval by the city Accountability in Government Oversight Committee dealt with an employee's parking validation; $18,587 in misplaced or lost city property; and an allegation that waste occurred when the city paid for three separate designs for the third-floor renovation of the old City Hall involving three different city managers. If the third design is used, the cost of the first two designs totaling $55,827 was a waste of taxpayers' dollars, the OIG report stated.
The nonpartisan Office of Inspector General is responsible for investigating tips and allegations of fraud, waste and abuse, and in recent years has looked into violations of nepotism, mis-billing, abuse of authority and leave policies, and abuse of power.
The committee's five members are appointed by the mayor and City Council. The members are to include a professional management consultant, a certified public accountant and a member with a law enforcement background. City ordinance states the committee is a "management committee" and not a public board subject to the state Open Meetings Act.
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