Mayor: Hearing Office needs clean-up

KRQE TV

Updated: May 2, 2012 6:04 PM

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) — Mayor Richard Berry says the City’s Hearing Office needs some serious cleanup and is calling for a change in how hearing officers are supervised.

The call to action comes in the wake of a KRQE News 13 investigation that exposed how two highly paid lawyers were making money on the side, while they were supposed to be working for the city.

Investigative reporter Larry Barker discovered that Anita Reina , a full time hearing officer earning $75,000 a year, had also been working as the San Felipe Pueblo Trial judge on city time.

Chief Hearing Officer Roberto Albertorio was also caught running a private law practice out of his city office, also on city time.

Because the positions are appointed by a judge they need independence because they rule on certain complaints against the city.

On Wednesday Mayor Berry said he wants the Hearing Office to report to the City Clerk’s Office, also an independent agency.

“We think by being in the Clerk's Office we will have a much better combination of some oversight but still a great deal of independence and we think that's the best of both worlds for the taxpayers of Albuquerque,” Mayor Berry said.

City Councilor Dan Lewis is sponsoring the mayor’s legislation which will go before the full council next week.

If approved it would go into effect immediately.

This would mean hearing officers would also be banned from having other jobs unless they clear it with the Mayor first.

Both Albertorio and Reina quit their city jobs after the investigation.

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