Atascadero and Paso Robles violating personnel rules

March 2, 2012

Atascadero and Paso Robles employees are breaking rules that limit the amount of vacation accrual leaving Atascadero with $887,320 and Paso Robles with $1,646,575 in unfunded liability, according to Grand Jury report (pdf) released Thursday.

In Paso Robles and Atascadero, personnel rules, set in place to protect the city from financial liability, make department heads responsible for ensuring vacation policies are enforced. However, the greatest violators of the rules include city managers and high ranking employees.

The failures to follow personnel rules have left both cities in a financial precarious situations, the report said.

CalCoastNews first broke information that Atascadero city management had failed to follow rules in place to protect the financial security of the city in June using unfunded liability graphs constructed by former Atascadero Mayor Mike Brennler. These graphs show the biggest violators are City Manager Wade McKinney and his assistant Marcia Torgerson.

“These violations are an affront to the citizens of Atascadero as well as the other 100 city employees who abide by the rules,” Brennler said. “What example is being set by their managers and the city council who tolerate such abuse?”

Shortly after CalCoastNews broke the story about Atascadero’s unfunded liability, the City Council agreed to make changes regarding accrued vacation times, but failed to follow thorough.

The San Luis Obispo County Grand Jury recommends the Atascadero City Council follow through and start dealing with the problem of its large unfunded vacation accrual.

In addition, the Grand Jury recommends Paso Robles officials take “immediate steps to stop additional vacation accumulation in violation of its own policies.”