Errors and poor policy have fueled the controversy over reimbursement of expenses at a regional group meant to promote communities around the Energy Department’s Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.
That is the crux of an Aug. 28 analysis by Los Alamos County Manager Harry Burgess, addressing financial irregularities by the Regional Coalition of LANL Communities (RCLC).
The 14-page document is the county manager’s response to recent reports from the New Mexico State Auditor’s Office and an Albuquerque law firm retained by the county to investigate reimbursements of about $2,600 paid for travel, meals, alcoholic beverages, and tickets to a baseball game to former RCLC executive director Andrea Romero.
At the request of a local nongovernmental group, New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas is investigating whether the reimbursements represented a breach of the state’s Fraud Against Taxpayers Act.
Lack of clear policy on expenses, and who should enforce it, has been a long-term problem, Burgess said.
When the state established the RCLC in May 2011, Los Alamos County was the new group’s sole financial contributor, and was named the fiscal agent. “However, what duties are associated with this role are not defined.” As a result, different officials at RCLC and the county have viewed this role in various ways over time, the county manager said.
The RCLC adopted a travel policy in 2012 patterned on the policy of the North Central Regional Transit District, which provides public transportation in that area of the state. There has never been a legal review of the coalition’s travel policy, in part because RCLC has never hired its own legal counsel, Burgess said.
The RCLC executive director has typically had expertise in marketing but not government administration. Although Los Alamos County was the fiscal agent, its employees were not familiar with procedures in the RCLC travel policy, Burgess said.
In February, RCLC did not renew the management contract for Romero’s firm after questions were raised about the expenses. The expenses were incurred as part of outreach efforts with LANL stakeholders, and repaid by Romero.
