Portland’s city auditor has accused the former longtime director of the city’s municipal golf courses of wasting city funds.
The parks bureau had agreed to pay former director John Zoller just under $27,000 to be a “working retiree,” meaning he would work part-time soliciting contracts and help his successor settle in. But, according to a report out Wednesday from the City Auditor, Zoller went far beyond the scope of the agreement.
Zoller reportedly continued charging the city for hours worked a year after his replacement stepped into his role. And the report points out, Zoller’s successor, Vincent Johnson, likely didn’t need a whole lot of help.
“It is unclear what support the new director needed since he had been the assistant director for nearly two years,” the report reads.
Zoller worked in this part-time position from August, 2018 through October 2019, ultimately racking up an additional $25,835 on top of the $26,864 the city had agreed to pay him.
Zoller, a former professional golfer, took the helm of the city’s golf program in 1987. As director, he oversaw the Park Bureau’s five golf courses.
Gordon Friedman, the audit’s lead investigator, said his investigation raises questions about how the Park Bureau handles its finances.
Zoller had no supervisor, so he was able to freely charge hours. His timesheets were never approved by a manger.
The auditor's office says the lack of oversight allowed Zoller to weigh heavily on the payroll of the already cash-strapped bureau.
“They had budget problems, they were closing community centers and making budget cuts, laying people off ” says Friedman. “It just sort of speaks to a practice of how the bureau is approaching its finances.”
The report was initiated after a tip came through to the auditor's fraud hotline last September.
As part of the report, the auditor's office laid out recommendations that the bureau could make to close the loopholes Zoller reportedly took advantage of. These include re-evaluating their timesheet process and extending formal offer letters to working retirees.
In its formal response, the parks bureau said they “will continue to follow those outlined rules, which allow for the bureau director and their designee to hire retirees.”
“Portland Parks & Recreation and its Golf program are grounded in deep and longstanding community relationships,” the bureau wrote in a statement. “We appreciate this anomaly being brought to the City’s attention.”
Zoller could not be reached for comment.