Members of the Council Audit and Finance Committee learned Monday that, though the city has had success in bringing illegal short-term rentals into compliance, those that do not come into compliance are falling through the cracks. On a positive note, a city audit found that the Code Department had been largely successful at bringing unlicensed […]
Austin City Council Audit and Finance Committee
A sub-group of the Austin City Council whose members are charged with oversight of city fiscal operations and anything that falls under the purview of the Office of the City Auditor. Reports and documents for the committee can be found here.
Posted inDevelopment, Transportation
Lone Star Rail asks Austin for new commitments
Lone Star Rail District representatives have revealed new details about a proposed passenger rail corridor between Georgetown and South San Antonio — with several stops in Austin — and are asking the city to amend an interlocal agreement that City Council approved last December. The proposed LSTAR commuter service would utilize the current Union Pacific freight line […]
Posted inAustin, Budget, City Council, Local Politics
Audit calls Public Library’s equity into question
Despite not having a formal definition of “equity” available to the public, the Austin Public Library insists that it uses equity as a guiding principle in all decisions. The city’s public library system challenged a report presented last week at City Council’s Audit and Finance Committee meeting claiming that its performance-measure data, particularly in the […]
Posted inResources
Water bills to get increased scrutiny after audit
The City Auditor’s Office has found that the customer billing system that generates the City of Austin’s combined utility bills does not routinely scrutinize the readings on the majority of water bills, leading to the possibility of overcharges. for nine out of 10 customers. Austin Energy manages the customer billing system, which generates a single […]
Posted inDevelopment, Local Politics
Quarry sale on hold to study new offer
In a dramatic turn of events, a late, private offer to purchase city land may have gained some traction, putting the proposed sale of a quarry to a neighboring municipality in limbo for the time being. The sale of a 215-acre quarry at 15700 Anderson Mill Road has been put on hold. City Council was […]
Posted inResources
AISD funding situation dire, panel hears
On the second day back in school for students, Austin Independent School District Chief Financial Officer Nicole Conley briefed the Council Audit and Finance Committee on the severe financial challenges the district is facing. Or, as Council Member Laura Morrison put it: “You refer to it as a challenge. But, for me, it seems like […]
Posted inDevelopment
Biz alliance wants more help for small firms
The Austin Independent Business Alliance is both optimistic and frustrated about the City of Austin’s current efforts to assist small local businesses. The discussion took place at last week’s Council Audit and Finance Committee meeting, following a progress report on two 2012 Council resolutions intended to work with small businesses by enhancing the city’s Small […]
Posted inLocal Politics, Public Safety
Council members angry over lack of notice on salary overpayment
Members of the Council’s Audit and Finance Committee expressed frustration and disapproval Wednesday over the city’s $239,000 overpayment to a city employee and the failure of City Auditor Kenneth Mory to tell them about it. Mayor Pro Tem Sheryl Cole, who chairs the committee, said, “These are public funds and we didn’t have any […]
Posted inLocal Politics, Public Safety
Council members concerned about handling of employee overpayment
Mayor Pro Tem Sheryl Cole and Council Member Bill Spelman, who both sit on the Council’s Audit and Finance Committee, as well as a local attorney with expertise in employment law, have expressed concern over the city’s handling of an employee who received more than $200,000 in salary overpayments but was only required to repay […]
Posted inLocal Politics, Public Safety, Uncategorized
Audit finds Parks Department lax in managing safety hazards
City Auditor Ken Mory reported to Council members Wednesday that the city’s Parks and Recreation Department “is not effectively managing hazards related to patron safety” and, further noted that “there is limited assurance that hazards identified are corrected promptly.” Mory’s finding was part of an audit of the efficacy of the department’s ability to […]
Posted inLocal Politics, Resources
City’s General Fund ends fiscal year 2013 with $14 million surplus
The City of Austin’s General Fund ended fiscal year 2013 with a $14.2 million surplus. That figure amounts to a roughly 1 percent variance from projections made by city staff. Despite the positive figure, Austin’s Chief Financial Officer Elaine Hart told members of the Council’s Audit and Finance Committee Wednesday that management was not […]
Posted inDevelopment, Local Politics
Council members approve $15 million in bond funds for housing
Austin City Council members Thursday signed off on $15 million in bond funds for the city’s Neighborhood Housing Department. Their approval marks the first use of the $65 million in affordable housing bonds approved by voters in November 2013 to the department that will administer its use. In so doing, Council members approved funds […]