As a result of complaints citizens made about problems they had connecting with the city’s 911 service during emergencies, City Council members Alison Alter and Vanessa Fuentes requested that the Office of the City Auditor look into how the Austin Police Department’s 911 service operates. Alter chairs the Audit and Finance Committee, and Fuentes is […]
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 inCity Hall
Fleet department works to electrify city’s many vehicles
Austin’s Fleet Mobility Services Department wants to lead the way in the use of battery electric vehicles, following the Austin Climate Equity Plan to cut communitywide greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2040. According to a report from the fleet department, the transportation sector accounts for more than one-quarter of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions […]
Posted inCity Hall
Animal Services working to fix problems revealed by audit
Last September, the city’s Office of the City Auditor released an audit highly critical of the city’s animal shelter operations, saying there was a conflict between its priorities of providing humane care, operating as an open intake shelter and maintaining its live-release goals. On Wednesday, Assistant City Manager Stephanie Hayden-Howard and Animal Services Officer Don […]
Posted inEnergy
Some vulnerable residents can’t use Austin Energy’s program
Some Austin Energy customers who are categorized as medically vulnerable and need electricity to operate life-saving equipment have not been able to sign up for the utility’s program to assist them in emergency situations, according to an audit report from the Austin Office of the City Auditor. Members of City Council’s Audit and Finance Committee […]
Posted inCity Hall
Study finds city employees distrustful of city’s ethics conduct
City employees who responded to a survey on the city’s behavior with regard to ethics gave the city lower marks for trust and accountability as compared to how city management rated the city. Employees surveyed also showed a greater fear of retaliation for reporting ethics violations than management respondents did. These are two major conclusions […]
Posted inCity Hall
Funding gaps and future needs eyed in analysis of bond spending
Members of City Council have started to show some of their priorities for the city’s next bond package that would address needs for parkland and cultural centers, among other city departmental resources. Another concern expressed at last week’s Audit and Finance Committee meeting was the likelihood that the city will need to assess where it […]
Posted inParks
Money for city parks, facilities dwindling
James Snow, director of Capital Delivery Services for the city, on Wednesday gave the City Council Audit and Finance Committee a detailed view of how money has been spent from bonds approved by voters in 2006, 2012 and 2018, with an emphasis on parks, libraries, museums and cultural facilities. The city is more dependent on […]
Posted inCity Hall
Fleet Services moves forward with fuel efficiency, reducing emissions
Although mileage put on city vehicles has continued to grow over the last five years, Austin has been able to reduce the amount of fuel used during that same time period, according to a report Wednesday to the City Council Audit and Finance Committee. Fleet Mobility Services Assistant Director Rick Harland explained a variety of […]
Posted inCity Hall
Audit shows changes needed at Development Services Department
Nearly a decade after a damning evaluation of the city’s planning and development processes resulted in more than 460 recommended changes, a recent audit of two smaller components of the Development Services Department found some steps left incomplete from a pair of more recent reviews. On Wednesday, the Audit and Finance Committee of City Council […]
Posted inCity Hall
City auditor unveils new online tracking system for audits
The Office of the City Auditor is advertising a new tool to let any member of the public see how different departments are doing in response to audit findings. That tool is a new online dashboard that tracks recommendations from audits and how departments are carrying out tasks outlined in those recommendations. Deputy city auditor […]
Posted inAustin
Council members want action, updates to improve city animal shelter
Members of City Council want ongoing updates from the Animal Services Office about the conditions at the Austin Animal Center, which a recent audit found to be routinely overcrowded due to a variety of management issues. Council’s Audit and Finance Committee received a briefing on the audit Wednesday and told top city managers and the […]
Posted inEnergy
Audit finds Austin Energy falling behind on tree-trimming schedule
The Office of the City Auditor has found Austin Energy is far behind on its seven-year schedule of trimming trees and vegetation around power lines, with the utility’s current pace likely requiring 14 years to complete all needed clearing. The audit, which was presented at Wednesday’s meeting of City Council’s Audit and Finance Committee, was […]