Senator: Conservator overstepped his bounds on executive salary
February 1, 2008
Senate Criminal Justice Committee Chairman John Whitmire, co-chairman of a special legislative committee overseeing reforms at the troubled agency, questioned whether Conservator Richard Nedelkoff had authority to raise the maximum salary for applicants to $160,000 when the Legislature had capped it at $125,000.
Written by Mike Ward, Austin American-Statesman
Plans to hire a permanent executive director at the embattled Texas Youth Commission hit a snag Thursday, as an influential state senator blasted the agency's temporary boss for overstepping his authority.
Senate Criminal Justice Committee Chairman John Whitmire, co-chairman of a special legislative committee overseeing reforms at the troubled agency, questioned whether Conservator Richard Nedelkoff had authority to raise the maximum salary for applicants to $160,000 when the Legislature had capped it at $125,000.
"I'm seriously concerned about what's going on out there," Whitmire said.
Nedelkoff, a nationally recognized juvenile justice expert who was appointed conservator in December, expressed confidence that he was within his authority.
"Is there a tougher job in juvenile corrections in the United States? I don't think so," he said. "I am trying to put in place a foundation to fix TYC. ... I'm moving as fast as I can."
Whitmire, D-Houston, is a close friend of Dimitria Pope's. The agency's acting executive director is paid about $125,000 and has not publicly indicated whether she is applying for the permanent post. Whitmire said that has nothing to do with his current concerns.
He said Nedelkoff posted the job for only one week, ending Thursday. "A job of that importance, with a salary increase that significant, would only take common sense to know that it should be posted for 60 or 90 days to make sure you get the best applicants," he said.
When the job was posted a week ago, the salary range was listed as $114,288 to $160,000, which, at the high end, would rank with the heads of much larger agencies.
Nedelkoff wrote the governor's budget office and Legislative Budget Board seeking permission to raise the upper limit to $160,000 on Monday, after the application period had begun.
In a memo to lawmakers, the board noted that a conservator can make no more than the executive director of the agency under conservatorship. Nedelkoff is being paid $160,000, according to the memo.
Whitmire said Nedelkoff overstepped his bounds. "He comes in here from Florida making changes in legislative intent, and I've got serious issues with him doing that," he said.
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