News

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Building Permit Review Audit

Getting a building permit in Portland can be a frustratingly slow process. Delays can affect the economy and motivate property owners to skirt the permitting system altogether. Our audit recommends ways to address persistent problems as the City strives for economic recovery from COVID-19.

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Ending Audit of CityFleet Services

We have decided to discontinue this audit because CityFleet’s ongoing strategic planning process may address some of the reasons we originally initiated it.

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Equity in Construction Contracting: Some goals achieved despite mismanagement, waste, and gamesmanship

Along with context and evidence, we make 16 recommendations in our audit report for improving the City’s contracting equity strategies. These include suggestions for better program design as well as measures to improve oversight, transparency, and accountability.

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Enhanced Services Districts: City provides little oversight of privately funded public services

Districts provide security and maintenance of public spaces, but without the level of transparency and accountability required for similar services managed by the City.

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Groundwater: City identified risks, must develop a long-term plan to address them

Given the time and money spent on protecting Bull Run, this audit asked whether the Water Bureau is managing the groundwater resource to ensure it is available in times of emergency or scarcity.

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Fraud Hotline report: Procurement card misuse in the Parks Ranger Program

The Auditor’s Office found evidence of waste when investigating a tip about spending in the Park Ranger Program.

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2019 Fraud Hotline Annual Report

Confidential tips to the Auditor’s Fraud Hotline led to 13 investigations in 2019, three of which resulted in substantiated findings of waste or abuse of position.

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Fraud Hotline report: Police Bureau put money that could have been used for other City priorities at risk when it failed to remedy concerns about grant funds

The Police Bureau risked spending more than $400,000 in General Fund money instead of federal grant funds because it did not heed warnings that the Sex Crimes Unit was out of compliance with grant requirements.

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Fraud Hotline report: Tip alleged procurement and ethics violations within the Water Bureau

The Auditor’s Office found evidence of procurement and ethics violations in an investigation prompted by a tip to the fraud hotline. The Water Bureau agreed to implement recommended process changes.

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Fraud Hotline report: Golf director’s working retirement wasted money

Portland Parks & Recreation wasted resources and engaged in mismanagement and rule-breaking when it brought back a retired municipal golf courses director for additional work.

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Lents Urban Renewal: 20 years of investment with minimal evaluation

The City’s economic development agency, Prosper Portland, needs to measure and tell the public what urban renewal investments have accomplished in Lents, according to our audit report.

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Cannabis Program: Management fundamentals needed to improve regulation of emerging industry

Like other businesses that operate in Portland, cannabis businesses must meet various building, safety and environmental requirements. This audit focused on the responsibilities and activities of Civic Life. We did not include a review of the permitting process at the other City bureaus.

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The City needs to make realistic commitments to voters and ensure they are delivered

Portland City Council committed to accountability measures when it asked voters to approve recent taxes and bonds related to the arts, cannabis, affordable housing, and street repair. According to our audit, implementation of some of the accountability protections fell short of what was promised.

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Portland Building Contract: Costs reviewed were consistent with contract, although required cost classification and calculations for final payment need to start now

The City Auditor contracted with construction audit experts, Sjoberg Evashenk Consulting, to audit the City’s compliance with requirements for how the main contractor will be compensated for costs, submit contract changes, and select subcontractors.

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Police Overtime: Management is lax despite high overtime use

Portland Police overtime was high by historical standards in 2018. Officers worked nearly 250,000 hours and the Bureau spent $15.7 million on overtime. We found management of overtime for patrol officers could be improved.

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Portland Housing Bond: Early implementation results mostly encouraging

In November 2016, voters gave Portland the go-ahead to borrow $258.4 million to invest in affordable housing to address a growing housing crisis. The goal was to build or buy 1,300 housing units. Our audit found bond implementation is off to a solid start.

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Portland Building Follow-up: Greater public transparency needed about project costs, trade-offs, and missed equity requirement

We identified risk areas during the project’s initial phase and this report follows up on the recommendations from that audit.

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Fixing our Streets: Some accountability commitments not fulfilled

Two years into the program, we assessed how the Bureau of Transportation is delivering on the Fixing our Streets program and accountability commitments.

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Portland Parks Golf: Changes needed to ensure long-term sustainability

Portland Parks and Recreation’s golf program is at a crossroads. Intended to be self-supporting, the program required an infusion of $800,000 of taxpayer funds in 2017 to remain solvent. While Parks improved practices on some fronts, financial risks remain.

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Recreational Cannabis Tax: Greater transparency and accountability needed

The City should improve the transparency and accountability of the recreational cannabis tax revenue, according to our audit.

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