An investigation of two people who were allegedly involved in a scheme to steal thousands of dollars in city parking garage fees will not be affected by the transfer of power at City Hall, administration officials say.

The city Ethics Commission is investigating the former employees of the Department of Facilities Maintenance, in connection with Gale Bracey, a former parking garage manager who pleaded guilty to the thefts in August. One of the targets of the investigation is still working for the city.

"I have complete confidence in (Ethics Commission Executive Director) Chuck Totto handling this matter appropriately and not letting it fall through the cracks," Mayor-elect Peter Carlisle said. Carlisle, the former city prosecutor, won a special election Sept. 18 and is expected to be sworn in Oct. 11.

Johnny Brannon, a spokesman for acting Mayor Kirk Caldwell, said the administrative review is being conducted by civil servants, not political appointees, and "will therefore not be disrupted by the pending change in administration."

Totto said the investigation is expected to wrap up by December, and beyond that he could not comment.

Jim Fulton, executive assistant in the city prosecutor’s office, said his office is aiding the commission in its investigation.

Once the commission inquiry is complete, Totto’s office will issue an opinion and turn over its findings to the prosecutor’s office, which will decide whether criminal charges should be filed.

Bracey, 39, pleaded guilty to four felony counts of theft of more than $20,000 and two counts of money laundering, and agreed to serve five months’ probation and pay restitution of $419,000.

She worked for Republic Parking Northwest from July 2004 until February 2006 when she was fired amid theft allegations.

Three months later, prosecutors said, a midlevel official of the city Department of Facilities Maintenance told the president of Standard Parking Corp. that his company would have a better chance of winning the new contract for the Hale Pauahi and Kukui Plaza parking garages if he hired Bracey and put her in charge of the parking operation.

The department contracts with companies to manage city parking garages.

Standard hired Bracey, and with the help of a second midlevel department official, prosecutors said, Standard won the new contract even though it was by far the highest bidder.

Standard fired Bracey in April 2007 after an investigation revealed parking revenues for Hale Pauahi were about $15,000 less per month when Bracey was the manager.

Neither of the two employees has been charged with any crimes and neither still works for the department. One was a contract worker whose contract was not renewed when it expired about two years ago. The other was working in a temporary position and has since been transferred back to his regular job, Brannon said.