Published Oct 16, 2008
Rio Arriba County Emergency Manager Dwayne “Bubba” Merritt submitted his letter of resignation Sept. 26, after it was discovered he failed to submit proper forms for reimbursement to the state Department of Homeland Security.
“He made purchases without getting prior approval from Homeland Security,” County Comptroller Mary Louise Martinez said. “Consequently, what happened there was that they would not reimburse the County.”
Martinez said the County ended up paying around $20,000 for what should have been reimbursable expenses related to trainings Merritt organized.
State Auditor Hector Balderas said the County’s 2006 audit, which was publicly released last week, had two “significant” deficiencies related to Merritt’s requests to the Department.
“There was a lack of documentation for reimbursement requests,” Balderas said.
Merritt also said he failed to obtain pre-approval for some training sessions he held, so the Department would not reimburse the County. He said he did not realize expenditures on a contractor for training exercises had to be approved beforehand.
“I knew that equipment was supposed to be pre-approved,” he said.
Balderas said the audit also found the County Finance Department was unable to obtain copies of periodic reports from Merritt. The reports, which should have been submitted to the Department along with reimbursement requests, contain descriptions of the work accomplished and other details. The County stated on the audit that Merritt did not provide the County Finance Department with the reports.
Also, Assistant County Manager Tomas Campos said Merritt still has not returned a County-owned digital organizer and satellite phone, and the County has not been able to get a hold of Merritt since he resigned.
County Manager Lorenzo Valdez did not return calls for comment.
County Emergency Medical Services and Wildland Fire Coordinator Mateo DeVargas is filling in for Merritt. He said the job has been keeping him busy with grant applications, training, communications and dealing with the recent rainfall.
“Just arroyos overflowing,” he said.
Campos said he will see how DeVargas and Fire Marshal Jerome Sanchez handle the additional responsibility before the County decides whether to conduct a search for a permanent replacement.
Merritt said County leaders didn’t pressure him to leave. While still employed with the County, he said he was part of an interview panel whose task it was to find an emergency manager for Torrance County, in the central part of the state, and he realized he was more qualified for the job than the five applicants.
“It was just something that I backed into,” he said. “They made me an offer, and I accepted.”
Merritt said Torrance County, which is about half the size and population of Rio Arriba, was willing to offer him similar pay so he started work there Oct. 11. He made about $42,000 a year with Rio Arriba County, and Torrance County Manager Joy Ansley said he would be making $32,500 in his new position.
Ansley said she was not aware of the problems Merritt had with Department grants in Rio Arriba. She said Merritt had helped out with fires in Torrance previously, and she agreed the five applicants for the emergency manager position were not as qualified as Merritt.
“He was kind of familiar with us,” she said. “When he got down here, he was just interested in the position.”
Ansley said Merritt’s position on the interview committee was not paid.