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 […]
Office of the City Auditor
This city department is created by the city’s charter in order to establish and ensure “accountability transparency, and a culture of continuous improvement in city operations.”
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 inPublic Safety
Austin still looking for more 911 call takers
Austin’s 911 call takers are regularly asked to take on a high call volume, but the Austin Police Department does not have a regular process for expediting call taking when the volume reaches higher-than-normal levels, according to a special report from the Office of the City Auditor. City Council members Vanessa Fuentes and Alison Alter […]
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
Audit examines alleged fraud by employee of Forensic Science Department
The former forensic services manager for the city’s Forensic Science Department allegedly misused his city credit card to purchase $3,000 worth of gift cards and firearm accessories for his personal use, according to a report issued by the Office of the City Auditor. Staff of the Financial Services Department discovered Efrain Perez’s alleged misuse of […]
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 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 […]
Posted inCity Hall
Audit finds inaccurate data on city portal
Unreliable data is a widespread problem for the city of Austin, according to an audit performed by the Office of the City Auditor. Francis Reilly, the auditor in charge, explained some of the city’s data problems to the City Council Audit & Finance Committee on Tuesday. Most recent audits “have found issues involving the city’s […]
Posted inCity Hall
Ethics Review Commission OKs pandemic-era changes to lobbying ordinance
The Ethics Review Commission last week voted unanimously to recommend changes to the city’s lobbying rules. The rules ensure phone calls and video conferences are properly recorded as appearances before a city official. The changes to City Code Chapter 4-8 concerning the regulation of lobbyists first came before the commission at its regular meeting in […]
Posted inCity Hall
Insufficient staffing revealed in audit of fraud and waste at Parks and Recreation Department
A former employee of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department fraudulently submitted timesheets stating she was working, according to a report from the Office of the City Auditor, and she collected paychecks for six months in 2021 – although she did no work during that time. The report says that temporary employee Desarae Ybarra, who […]
Posted inCity Hall
Former city employee abused sick leave policy, audit says
A former employee of the city’s Animal Services Department misused city resources by claiming sick leave after getting a new job at Travis County, according to a report from the Office of the City Auditor. The audit says Luis Negrete, a former animal health technician, took time off from his job in December 2021 and […]
Posted inFire
Audit shows growth of firefighters’ overtime spending
Firefighters continue to rack up overtime while the Austin Fire Department continues to recruit and train more firefighters as others retire. According to a report presented to the city’s Audit and Finance Committee on Wednesday, the department was on track to spend more than $20 million on overtime for the fiscal year that ended Sept. […]