Austin Public Health’s contracts with the African American Youth Harvest Foundation do not require sufficient documentation to allow the department to adequately monitor the contracts, according to a draft audit report released Monday. In criticizing the health department’s monitoring of the contracts, auditors noted that the contracts do not require the foundation to provide documentation, […]
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 inPolice
Traffic law enforcement still a hot topic
Even though traffic law enforcement and street safety is a top priority for the Austin Police Department, the majority of officers have little time to devote to such enforcement, given their other priorities, such as responding to citizens’ calls and engaging in community policing efforts. That is the major conclusion of an audit report produced […]
Posted inCity Hall
Audit shows employee wasted time, resources
When the Austin Code Department found evidence in late 2017 that one of its inspectors was using his city car to visit relatives outside the city and was not performing the inspections required by his job, the department referred the matter to the Office of the City Auditor. In an investigative report released last week, […]
Posted inCity Hall
Visit Austin audit revised
The City Council Audit and Finance Committee accepted the results of an audit of the contract between the city and Visit Austin at last week’s meeting. The audit did not find any significant contract compliance issues with Visit Austin, which received $14.9 million from the city for the 2018 budget year. However, auditors found that […]
Posted inCity Hall
Committee wants more responses from chief
The City Council Audit and Finance Committee accepted an audit from the Office of the City Auditor Monday that faulted the city’s processes in dealing with recommendations from the Citizen Review Panel to the chief of police. All the members of the committee present agreed that the public needs more information about the results of […]
Posted inAustin
Draft audit recommends changes, improvements for Visit Austin
A draft summary from the Office of the City Auditor finds that the city’s convention center needs to improve its internal communication and tracking of deliverables related to its annual contract with the city of Austin. The complete audit is expected to be finished this week in advance of Monday’s meeting of City Council’s Audit […]
Posted inCity Hall
Health department faulted in foundation audit
Members of the city auditor’s staff have found that Austin Public Health’s monitoring process for contracts with the African-American Youth Harvest Foundation has been ineffective and that the department cannot verify that the foundation has fulfilled the intended purpose of one of its contracts with the city. The city currently has two contracts with the […]
Posted inThe Code
Council adopts new rules for subpoenas
On Thursday, City Council adopted regulations that make it clear that the Ethics Review Commission may not seek information identifying whistleblowers or other witnesses in complaints about city officials or employees. In addition, Council designated the Council Audit and Finance Committee as the body that would hear any appeal from a person requesting a subpoena […]
Posted inCity Hall
Commission: Former police monitor did not violate city policy
On Wednesday night, the Ethics Review Commission found that former police monitor Margo Frasier was not in violation of any city policy and did not impose any sanctions against her. By clearing Frasier’s name in a 7-2 vote, the commission took a stance on future cases involving personal internet use on city-owned computers for all […]
Posted inCity Charter
Should the auditor’s office be exempt from municipal civil service?
Having an independent auditor’s office is integral to running a city where checks and balances fulfill their intended function. Independence, however, is not always easy to maintain, and in Austin, the Office of the City Auditor is working to balance its autonomy with still allowing its employees access to city-based benefits. On March 5, Jason […]
Posted inAustin
Austin is full of anti-gentrification ideas, but most wouldn’t have a direct impact
Since 2000, the city of Austin has had a lot of ideas about how to slow down gentrification. A task force recommended in 2002, for example, that the city educate residents about available property tax exemptions. In 2008, City Council members asked the city manager to find city-owned land suitable for affordable housing. And there […]
Posted inCity Hall
Council members blast city savings program
Members of the City Council Audit and Finance Committee on Wednesday expressed outrage over the lack of oversight exercised by the city’s Neighborhood Housing and Community Development Department in administering a program designed to help low-income residents learn how to handle money. As reported by the Austin Monitor, the audit performed by the Office of […]