Sen. Vickie Sawyer called NCDOT negligent for the raises handed out to employees. | Facebook
Sen. Vickie Sawyer called NCDOT negligent for the raises handed out to employees. | Facebook
A state lawmaker criticized the latest documented mismanagement at the Transportation Department after a state audit released in July found it should not have handed out $39 million in raises through a legislative-approved program.
Lawmakers approved a pay raise program for the Department of Transportation to keep important employees from taking jobs in the private sector, WRAL reported on July 8. In return for the extra compensation, selected employees were barred from receiving annual longevity bonuses.
The state audit report released on July 8 found that employees were still receiving the longevity pay and the amount of money received collectively should have been $19.6 million in supplemental pay but was $58.5 million, WRAL reported. The raises were not meant to exceed 2% of the Transportation Department's annual payroll, however, the audit report found that did.
"The department also demonstrated to all other state agencies that non-compliance with state laws, whether intentionally or through lack of appropriate due diligence, has no consequences for the agency or management," the audit stated, WRAL reported.
The report calculated that based on the numbers, 5,400 of the 7,400 employees raises averaged 10%, WRAL reported.
“My office continues working with our local DMV inspectors and agency workers to secure long-overdue raises,” Sen. Vickie Sawyer said in a Facebook post on July 9. “These findings from State Auditor, Beth Woods, are a slap in the face to those hard-working folks. How can this gross negligence at NCDOT continue to occur with no consequences?”
Transportation Department leaders defended the raises, claiming the audit does not correctly understand the law.
"Adjustments to salaries that amount to two percent of the department's payroll expenses could have been accomplished via salary adjustments within the existing compensation structure and without specific statutory authorization," Secretary of Transportation Eric Boyette said in a response to the audit, WRAL reported. "But such adjustments would have been insufficient to accomplish the market-based recruitment and retention goals of the pilot program."
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