In a new rebuke of the troubled Texas Youth Commission, two key lawmakers on Wednesday accused the agency of financial mismanagement.

In a letter Wednesday afternoon to agency Conservator Richard Nedelkoff, two powerful chairmen — state Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, and Rep. Jerry Madden, R-Richardson — charged that the Youth Commission "is continuing a pattern of, what appears to us, a willful disregard for the spending parameters set by the Legislature" at a time when the ranks of correctional officers remain thin at lockups and treatment and reform programs have yet to be fully implemented.

They demanded an immediate halt to pay raises for top executives and expensive improvements to youth lockups that may soon be closed.

Whitmire and Madden chair a special legislative committee overseeing changes at the Youth Commission that followed a sex-abuse and cover-up scandal in 2007.

In an interview, Whitmire was more direct: "It looks like they're spending money out there like a drunk sailor, and we want it stopped now. It's nuts."

Whitmire pointed to facilities in Corsicana, Crockett, Vernon and Pyote as examples of lockups where renovations are being done.

The letter followed a report made public Tuesday in which Nedelkoff proposed options to build several new lockups and halfway houses, even as the agency continues to see its incarcerated population drop.

The report drew criticism from Whitmire and other lawmakers for appearing to expand the agency's domain, even though legislative leaders have said they want the agency to be smaller.

In the past two years, since the abuse scandal resulted in most top brass being run off and the agency placed in a form of receivership, the number of locked-up teens has dropped from about 2,700 to just under 2,000. Officials and legislative leaders say they expect that number could be 1,600 by sometime next year.

Nedelkoff could not be reached for comment.

Jim Hurley, the agency's spokesman, said money is being spent to implement reforms ordered by the Legislature. He said he was not aware of any major improvements being made at Youth Commission lockups that may be closed or of any executive pay raises.

"I haven't gotten any raise," said Hurley, who is a member of the agency's executive team.

Whitmire said he is upset by information that General Counsel Steve Foster recently received a salary increase of more than $7,000, from $104,000 to $111,100. That is more than general counsels at larger agencies make, he said.

"When Nedelkoff arrived, the top person out there was making $125,000," Whitmire said. "Now, the highest is almost $210,000."

A salary list obtained by the Austin American-Statesman shows that in November, four Youth Commission officials were being paid $100,000 or more, including then-Executive Director Dimitria Pope, at $127,499.

A list dated July 31 shows there are now nine, with Medical Director Rajendra Parikh making $208,000 a year and Nedelkoff making $159,999. Hurley is listed at $99,959.

Whitmire said he thinks a full audit of the agency's spending is in order.

Hurley questioned whether the new criticism may stem from a misunderstanding of Nedelkoff's detailed reform plans, several of which have been provided to lawmakers in recent weeks.

In a July report, Nedelkoff recommended the agency be brought out of conservatorship, although the final decision on when to end the conservatorship rests with Gov. Rick Perry.

Nedelkoff has since said he plans to leave soon as the conservator.