Alvarado: This whole thing is my fault, sorta

City Councilwoman and Mayor Pro Tem Carol Alvarado changed her tactic in the city spending scandal today, sending a letter to her District I constituents accepting responsibility for pro tem employees who took illegal bonuses and unauthorized payraises.

"I want to be perfectly clear — although certain staff members under my supervision acted improperly without my knowledge, the responsibility is mine," she wrote. "More importantly, it is my responsibility to make sure nothing like this ever happens again."

The letter (available here) is a 180 for Alvarado, who told the Chronicle earlier this month that "There is no way that an elected official can police every single iota, every single detail, that goes on in their office." Or is it? Alvarado says again in the letter that the improper budgeting is the result of "actions of others without my knowledge" and goes on to write:

I will work with Mayor Bill White and his Finance and Administration Department, Controller Annise Parker and her staff and all of my colleagues on City Council to address any deficiencies in the bureaucracy that allowed these individuals to betray both our city and your trust.

So there's still a little buck-passing going on, then — unless Alvarado is planning to work with colleagues to address herself. In an op-ed piece Alvarado wrote for yesterday's Chronicle, she also vowed that "I intend to make sure the people I employ are of the highest ethical and moral character, as well as the most professionally skilled individuals available. I will supervise them intently." Well, it's about time. Houstonist assumes this mix of responsibility and detachment is based on the advice of Alvarado's new lawyer and PR firm.

Meanwhile, two of Alvarado's City Council colleagues raised concerns about the scandal yesterday. Shelley Sekula-Gibbs, Alvarado's best friend, again called for an independent audit of the pro tem office and Councilwoman Addie Wiseman sent a memo to Mayor Bill White asking why the council has been "left virtually in the dark" on payroll issues. (Read Wiseman's memo, courtesy of KHOU.)