Gary Weeks

While many of Guv-elect Ted Kulongoski's incoming staffers have been working feverishly to find ways to close the yawning gap between revenue and expenses, incoming budget chief Gary Weeks tried to stick taxpayers with an unwarranted expense: a month's salary he didn't deserve.

WW has learned that Weeks, tapped for the director of the state Department of Administrative Services, submitted paperwork that would have activated his employment in December, even though he doesn't officially start his post until next week, when the new governor takes office.

Kulongoski spokesman Scott Ballo confirmed that Weeks had jumped the gun, but hastened to add that the incoming governor put a stop payment on the plans before any state funds were spent.

"It came to our attention sometime before the holidays that some paperwork had been submitted," Ballo said, "and Ted quickly stopped it."

Ballo said he did not know the exact date that Weeks' paperwork was submitted, but the timeline outlined by one source put it well before Kulongoski announced his appointment on Dec. 19. Weeks' budgeted salary rings in at $10,313 a month.

Weeks did not return WW's call, and Ballo said he did not know why Weeks thought his salary should start in December. He said Weeks has been preparing for his new post for about a month, but so have several others on Kulongoski's team, and only three (political advisor Steve Schneider, scheduler Essie Cummins and Ballo) are drawing paychecks, and they come out of the transition team's budget. Another top appointee, Jean Thorne, got an early start on her job as head of the Department of Human Resources when outgoing Gov. John Kitzhaber named her interim director. But no such appointment was made for Weeks.

Weeks will have a hard time claiming ignorance, as he's spent more than a quarter-century in top administrative state jobs, including a previous stint (1993-1995) as the DAS chief. Then again, Weeks also briefly served as director of the Oregon Lottery, where we now know officials consider it standard practice to play by their own rules.

WWeek 2015