You're paying him $70,000 a year to inspect sewage treatment plants.

But Investigative Reporter Chris Halsne's exclusive hidden camera investigation finds a certain government worker apparently has better things to do.

King County is closing parks, cutting services, laying off union workers. But at the same time, we discovered it's been turning a blind eye to waste within its ranks.

The intricate gardens surrounding a King County Wastewater Treatment plant are stunning. More than 120 specially-graphed rose bush hybrids flourish in the sun out front. Pumpkins, sunflowers, cannas, banana plants and lilies fill the rest of the lot.

Mercy Mallary lives and gardens across the street. She admits she's a bit jealous of all the time a King County employee is given to work the soil nearly every day.

"Oh, he put a lot of time there, making a gorgeous garden. He's a great guy. He's changed this three times already. This time he made [the garden] perfectly gorgeous," Mallary said.

Here's the problem. The so-called gardener is really an engineer named Iha Khilfeh. He's paid around $28 an hour to perform tests for wastewater maintenance facilities, not pluck flowers or sit in the sun.

KIRO Team 7 Investigators conducted extensive surveillance on Iha. Our undercover team repeatedly videotaped him watering, fertilizing and weeding while on the clock.

We interviewed neighbors who confirmed that. We followed him home to Edmonds midday and saw him running personal errands in the county van.

We didn't see a lot of work being done that matches his job description.

Chris: "Your gardening activities have created a bit of a controversy."

We caught up to Iha to get his side.

Chris: "We know you're doing some of the work on the job. Do your bosses know about it and how much leeway do they give you?"

Iha: [Pause.] "I don't think I should comment, really."

The King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks is having a hard time figuring out how much time Iha has spent tending to his roses. Bosses were led to believe Iha was nurturing flowers on his own time.

If that was true, he shouldn't have shown up driving a county van. No personal business can be done once that vehicle is checked out.

Chris: "We observed you working out there during work hours as well. So the two don't mesh. As a reporter, I've got to figure out the truth. You understand that?

Iha: "Yah."

Chris: "You're not going to explain."

Iha: "No, no."

KIRO Team 7 Investigators asked two horticulture experts to analyze several wastewater facility gardens.

We observed Iha taking care of, on the clock, what were described as "labor-intensive, high-maintenance" grounds. County policy calls for "basic, low maintain ground cover."

"We don't have the money to do it. We don't have the resources to do it. We're stretched very thin," said Don Theiler, Wastewater Division Director for King County.

Despite all appearances, Iha is not without supporters.

Taxpayer Chris Keith lives next to one of Khilfeh's garden designs. He says it's OK with him that the county pays $70,000 a year for an engineer to tend roses.

Chris: "How much is he out there?"

Keith: "A lot, a lot. I see him out there at least three times a week whether it's hot or rainy."

"No, I don't think it's a waste at all. I mean it brings up the value of the neighborhood, makes people feel good about living here," Keith said.