Waste of the Day: San Fran Train Workers Built Secret Apartments on Taxpayers’ Dime

Topline: Two former California transit employees used $50,000 of taxpayer money to build secret apartments inside two train stations, allegedly for their own personal convenience.

Secret apartments – and six-figure salaries

Records at OpenTheBooks.com revealed that at least one of them collected almost $1.1 million in taxpayer-funded salary between 2017 and 2021.

Key facts: Deputy Director of Operations Joe Navarro and Station Manager Seth Worden installed showers, heating systems, security cameras and more in two closed-down offices in the San Francisco area, according to the Mercury News.

They were both fired in the past for living in the train stations, but it’s only now that the taxpayer cost is coming to light.

Both men had homes of their own. The district attorney speculated to the San Francisco Standard that the apartments were built so they wouldn’t have to commute each morning.

The two employees are accused of misuse of public funds. Navarro pled not guilty — he says a felony charge is not appropriate — and Worden has not been arraigned as of early April. But there’s no denying that the $50,000 was spent.

Neither train station is currently in use by the rail line Caltrain, so the apartments went unnoticed.

Authorities say Worden hired contractors for the renovations and Navarro approved the payments.

Each invoice was for less than $3,000. Prosecutors believe that was intentional, since larger payments require higher approval.

Living in the train station

Background: Living in a train station is odd enough, but it’s even stranger given that taxpayers were already giving Navarro a healthy salary.

Navarro was one of the highest-paid employees in the San Mateo County District. He made more than $231,000 in 2021, more than all but eight of the county’s 703 employees.

He was fired in 2022 after an anonymous tip accused him of living in the train station, but that didn’t take away his retirement benefits; Navarro collected a $1,425 monthly pension that same year.

Worden worked for a contractor hired by Caltrain, so his salary is not subject to public disclosure.

Supporting quote: Worden’s attorney told NBC Bay Area,

I can tell you that my client is very remorseful for his role. I can further tell you that my initial sense of the case suggests that his participation would not suggest a felony prosecution appropriate. Again, I anticipate receiving the discovery in the coming days, and can glean a better context for his role in the case.

Summary: Perhaps the real question here is how the employees managed to furnish their apartments for $50,000 when the federal government routinely spends more on affordable housing. Navarro and Worden will likely face prosecution, but they could still probably teach the government a thing or two about efficiency.

The #WasteOfTheDay is brought to you by the forensic auditors at OpenTheBooks.com

This article was originally published by RealClearInvestigations and made available via RealClearWire.