In the wake of Covid-19, revenue at the Austin Convention Center dropped from more than $35.8 million in Fiscal Year 2019 to about $12.8 million in FY 2020, according to a special review of convention center finances conducted by the Office of the City Auditor, at the request of members of the City Council Audit […]
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
Investigation finds theft and resale at Austin Energy
A city investigation has found that an employee stole and sold more than $130,000 worth of items from Austin Energy. A letter from Rodney Stockton’s attorney, Rick Cofer, clarified that Stockton does not admit responsibility for all of the missing items. In his letter of resignation, Stockton confessed that he had stolen two nitrogen oxide analyzers […]
Posted inEnergy
Consumer advocate seeks audit of Austin Energy program
Consumer advocate Paul Robbins, who has argued for years that Austin Energy is wasting money and inadequately screening participants in its Customer Assistance Program, is asking City Auditor Corrie Stokes to audit the program for wasted expenditures. The program, which serves low-income customers of Austin’s electric, water and drainage utilities, provided more than $15.3 million […]
Posted inCity Hall
Audit shows problems with city pagers
According to a report issued by the Office of the City Auditor, the city is not effectively managing many of the 1,600-plus pagers issued to city employees. The result, auditors say, is unnecessary spending and the possibility that the lack of oversight is “impacting the city’s ability to communicate in an emergency.” The city formed […]
Posted inCity Hall
Audit cites ethics violations by employee, supervisor
An investigation by the Office of the City Auditor has concluded that Alex Perez, a project coordinator at Austin Energy, violated city ethics regulations by making official decisions affecting a company owned by members of his family. In addition, auditors say his supervisor, Lora Teed, assigned Perez to a repair project where his family’s company […]
Posted inCity Hall
City faces challenge in managing software licenses
The city does not have complete information on what software licenses it has or how much those licenses are costing, according to a report from the city auditor’s office. Auditors reported Wednesday that the city spent $7.4 million in Fiscal Year 2020 on three main types of office licenses, but as they told the City […]
Posted inCity Charter
City departments may now deal with small-scale violations
City Council unanimously approved a change to city code Thursday that will allow the Office of the City Auditor to refer small-scale secondary employment misuse cases to the city manager’s office. In cases where a city employee is found using city equipment for secondary work, the city auditor may now redirect the case as long […]
Posted inCity Hall
Audit: Austin Code employee abused his position
After receiving an anonymous tip, investigators with the Office of the City Auditor discovered that a hiring manager in Austin Code’s finance division was using his position to try to advance a romantic relationship based on a promise to hire the love interest’s sibling. According to an investigative report released Tuesday, Franklin Fejarang, who left […]
Posted inCity Hall
Audit: Ex-employee stole $1.3 million from city
Randall Whited, a former employee of Austin Public Library, stole at least $1.3 million from the city by purchasing printer toner with a city credit card and reselling it online, according to an investigation released by the Office of the City Auditor Monday. The audit also alleges that Whited misused his city credit card by purchasing […]
Posted inAustin
Audit calls Austin’s ‘bad landlord’ program ineffective, says it doesn’t ensure safe housing
A city program intended to make sure landlords maintain safe apartments is failing to do its job, a new audit finds. The report released Wednesday by the Office of the City Auditor looks at the Repeat Offender Program within the city’s Code Department. Created by City Council in 2013 and paid for with a monthly […]
Posted inCity Hall
Auditors seek change in reporting of minor violations
The City Council Audit & Finance Committee voted unanimously Wednesday to recommend a change in city regulations that will allow the Office of the City Auditor to refer “de minimis” or small-scale violations of city code related to misuse of city resources for secondary employment to the city manager or appropriate department. The full Council […]
Posted inCity Hall
Audit outlines challenges for Millennium Youth Complex
The Office of the City Auditor has found numerous problems at the Millennium Youth Entertainment Complex in East Austin, starting with the city’s failure to effectively manage and monitor its agreements with the Austin Rosewood Community Development Corporation. The duties of the nonprofit ARCDC include oversight of the agreement with SMG, the for-profit company in […]