City Hall is scheduled to assume responsibility for investigating allegations of improper hiring and firing under a pending court settlement, but the city’s chief investigator said Thursday he doesn’t have the staff to handle the job.
Asked during an interview if he had the necessary resources, Inspector General David Hoffman did not hedge.
“The answer is no,” he said.
The Daley administration has agreed to settle litigation stemming from the federal Shakman decree, which prohibits patronage considerations for most city job positions. The accord calls for submission of a hiring plan and establishment of a $12 million fund for people who have been passed over for jobs and promotions in favor of politically connected candidates.
Hoffman’s office also is to take over investigative responsibilities from Noelle Brennan, a court-appointed monitor.
“The agreement is scheduled to be approved [by the court] on May 31,” Hoffman said. If that happens, “we will be the primary Shakman investigator beginning … June 1,” he said.
Hoffman said he has submitted a request to Mayor Daley for reinforcements for his office, which has about 40 investigators. He declined to reveal how many additional employees he is seeking, but said he is hopeful he will get what he needs.
The proposed settlement was approved by the City Council only Wednesday, and “we are looking at next steps,” said Jodi Kawada, Daley’s deputy press secretary. Increasing the inspector general’s staff “is something we are going to be looking at and evaluating.”
