BALTIMORE — The Office of the Inspector General conducted an investigation into alleged financial waste and mismanagement within the curbside collections operation in the Department of Public Works' Bureau of Solid Waste.
The OIG used information supplied by BBMR to analyze how the staffing budget was being expended. In the 2019 Fiscal Year, SW budgeted approximately $10.7 million for permanent and temporary employees' salary.
According the investigation, actual 2018 expenditures for the staffing needs was approximately $11.3 million and they saved more than $700,000 by not filling permanent budged positions but spent more than $1.1 million over the $406,844 budget for overtime costs.
"According to SW budget information, SW has funding for permanent employees however those funds are not being used to staff the operation to capacity, rather the operational needs are being funded through overtime."
In July 2019, trash collectors were allegedly being paid for unworked hours.
READ MORE: Solid Waste workers earning undue overtime, meal allowances, OIG report finds
RELATED: DPW drop-off centers investigated by Office of the Inspector General
The full OIG report can be read below:
