Troubled by allegations of overtime fraud in the Baltimore Department of Public Works, City Council President Lawrence A. Bell III is calling for an audit of all municipal agencies to make sure that tax dollars are not being misspent.

Bell said he spoke with city Comptroller Joan M. Pratt yesterday, and they want to look at each department, including public works.

"We both are very concerned about the issues that have been raised," Bell said during last night's council meeting. "We want to take a look at city agencies across the board. As long as you have human beings in certain positions, we're going to have problems with corruption."

The public works department suspended Charlie Payne, a supervisor, without pay after allegations surfaced that a group of employees earned up to $60,000 with overtime last year in return for kickbacks.

Payne, a 20-year employee, is acting chief of the water and wastewater treatment maintenance division.

Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke contacted State Prosecutor Stephen Montanarelli's office after receiving anonymous letters about the alleged scandal. Prosecutors raided Payne's office a week ago.

Payne, 42, said in an interview with The Sun last week that he is innocent of the charges and that he will be cleared.

He said he was a scapegoat and that his suspension was simply "railroading."

Bell's sweeping call for an audit of municipal agencies comes during a election year in which he could be a candidate for mayor.

Bell also has been under fire for failing to take a stand on certain issues and abstaining from voting on them as he did last night on a preliminary vote on a bill that would schedule municipal elections on the same day as presidential balloting.

Also last night, council members postponed a vote on a hotly debated proposal from a contractor, who wants to start a rubble-crushing operation at 4300 Shannon Drive in Northeast Baltimore.

But residents in Northeast communities -- Frankford, Belair-Edison, Parkside, Claremont, Armistead Gardens and 4X4 -- are opposing the plan because they fear noise, air pollution and runoff into Herring Run stream.

"There are folks who believe that this is a very bad bill for their neighborhood," said Councilman John L. Cain, who represents Baltimore's east side.

The bill was set for final passage last night, but the council delayed the vote until next week's meeting, citing a procedural error.

Councilwoman Lois Garey, who also represents the east side and opposes the bill, attributed the delay to the absence of some supporters from last night's meeting.

"I do find it a little strange that we would slow down this process," Garey said.

Pub Date: 3/23/99