City workers say excessive pay rates given to private contractors

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They make our city run smoothly. But engineers, scientists, even criminologists say they are losing work to private contractors who do their jobs for a much higher price.

"We're paying money for these consultants to do our work," said Michael Hunt, a transportation engineer who's been working in Los Angeles for the past twenty years. "Then we have to review their work so it's not only their cost, but it's our cost on top of their cost. You actually have to work with us to figure out how this city functions. They don't know the insides of the city. We do!"

Last year city controller Wendy Greuel issued an audit that showed more than two hundred million dollars was paid to private contractors. The city hires private contractors when city employees do not have the required skill set to complete the job.

"The consultant's not going to go away," said Gus Malkoun, a civil engineer for the city. "We've worked with them for many years. They provide quality work. But there is a lot of work that could be done in-house first, and the remaining work could be given to the consultant."

Some city officials say hiring private contractors over their own employees is rare. But Greuel's audit report says the city doesn't have a reliable system for determining when to use outside contractors.

"This is our city," said Malkoun. "We live here, we work here. We have done major projects, all the infrastructure: the streets, the bridges, the building behind you are all done by the city employees. Everyone wants to work, we understand that. But the city could do it better than anyone outside."
City council members could not be reached for comment.