A new investigation by the Albuquerque Inspector General has revealed allegations of an employee in the environmental health department receiving free parking and being paid for not working. According to the investigation, the employee was found to be abusing their time and using a city parking permit for personal use. The complaint also suggests that the employee frequently arrives late and leaves early for work.
The department director, Angel Martinez, admitted to assigning the parking permit to the employee because they run errands and deliver documents. However, investigators questioned why the employee did not purchase a parking pass like other city workers and also failed to utilize mileage reimbursement for using their personal vehicle. It was discovered that the employee used the parking pass daily since February, resulting in a parking charge of $588. Furthermore, investigators found that the employee did not accurately report the amount of time worked, resulting in approximately 62 hours of unworked time for which they were paid, totaling over $2,000.
The investigation also highlighted a toxic work environment at the Environmental Health Department, prompting the Inspector General to inform the department’s deputy chief administrative officer for corrective action..
