Claim for overtime fails federal tests

Friday, Sept. 28, 2007 | 7:28 a.m.

A former top administrator of a local agency that receives federal money to train people for the workplace tried to claim more than 3,800 hours of overtime after leaving his position in late July.

The claim, based on payment at time and a half, might have been worth up to $300,000 - had it not been considered baseless under federal rules.

Ardell Galbreth, former deputy executive director of the Southern Nevada Workforce Investment Board, left that position to take the same job with the state Employment, Training and Rehabilitation Department.

The five-year Southern Nevada board official could not be reached for comment on his claim.

The board, which received up to $10 million annually in Labor Department money during his tenure, suffered negative audits and reviews late last year, leading to personnel overhauls and outside help from eight local governments.

In a previous interview, Galbreth said he "demonstrated and showed keen awareness of problems (at the board)," which he called "very obvious."

Sharon Sewell, interim executive director of the National Association of Workforce Boards, said she had not heard of any similar situation involving executive staff overtime at any of the estimated 580 boards nationwide.

The claim comes at a time when Congress is unlikely to reauthorize the law that guarantees funding for the boards, according to local board Chairman Robert Brewer.

At a meeting of the local board Wednesday, Brewer spoke of the need to get out "good news" about the agency and its work in the Las Vegas Valley.

"We know there are good things happening, but that news isn't percolating up to Congress," he said.

An administrator's claim for 3,800 hours is probably not the kind of news Brewer wants Congress - or anyone - to hear.

"People around the country would sort of gasp at this," Sewell said of the 3,849 extra hours of work for which Galbreth sought payment.

"Given a system that is limited in resources and seeking more resources, an employee making a claim like this would not be looked at favorably," she said.

John Ball, interim executive director of the Southern Nevada board, said Galbreth on Aug. 21 sent the claim to Las Vegas, which was called in with other local governments to help set the agency straight in recent months.

The claim involved "unaudited, unused compensatory hours." Although Galbreth didn't set a dollar amount to the claim, he earned about $103,000 a year, Ball said.

Las Vegas and Clark County looked at the numbers and determined that 2,872.5 extra hours could be substantiated. But the city attorney's office decided Aug. 30 that Galbreth was not entitled to any money for overtime under federal and board rules.

As for the repercussions of the claim, Ball said: "It was widely known that issues of performance and accountability were raised some time ago and local governments have been working assiduously to review policies and procedures and make sure the integrity is beyond question."

He said that policies on overtime have been changed at the board and are now "in direct alignment with federal rules and regulations."

Mae Flennoy, spokeswoman for the state agency employing Galbreth since August, said the claim "was not related to his current job (and that) he was hired because he was the perfect candidate."

At first she said Galbreth was unreachable because he was on vacation.

She later called back and said he was out of town, but working.