Portland City Auditor

07/26/2023

Contractor found to be overcharging local businesses and community members. An investigation by the City Ombudsman reveals that over 800 emergency board-up services may have been wrongfully charged by the City's contractor. The City failed to properly monitor the contract with the board-up company, resulting in potential financial harm to Portlanders affected by property crime. The investigation was initiated after a nonprofit complained about being overcharged, and it uncovered a widespread pattern of concerning conduct.

In response to the Ombudsman report, the City said it is committed to following the correct protocol and pursuing restitution for those affected. Full report here:

Lack of oversight leads to contractor wrongfully charging Portlanders

07/05/2023

🔍 Audit Update: Council's legislative changes helped the Portland Clean Energy Fund put management systems in place. 🌱

It has been a year since our 2022 report on the Portland Clean Energy Fund, and we are pleased to share some important updates. In our audit, we found that while the Fund had started implementing management systems, certain elements were still pending or required guidance from City Council. These included managing administrative costs, defining climate goals, capacity building, and accountability systems.

After our audit, the Commissioner-in-charge, the Planning and Sustainability Director, as well as the Fund Committee and staff, sought direction from Council to address our recommendations. In October 2022, Council adopted legislative amendments that proved instrumental. These changes helped the Fund improve administrative cost management, provided guidance on climate goals and oversight, and facilitated the implementation of accountability systems identified in the original audit.

Council made policy decisions that expanded the Fund's scope by adding new funding categories, approving additional funding pathways, and broadening the types of organizations eligible for funds. The administration of some strategic programs will now be overseen by Prosper Portland and City bureaus like Housing, Parks and Recreation, and Transportation.

While this report focuses on the Fund's progress in implementing our 2022 audit recommendations, it does not cover recent policy decisions, structural changes, or new management practices that will follow. We remain committed to transparency and accountability as we work towards a greener and more sustainable future for Portland.

For more details, please read the full report:

This is a one-year follow-up to our 2022 report Portland Clean Energy Fund: Additional steps needed to implement voter-approved program.

06/28/2023

We're thrilled to share the key areas that the Audit Services Division plans to examine in the coming fiscal year. We carry out performance audits to provide objective information to the public. We report audit findings and recommendations publicly to hold City government accountable and ensure its actions are transparent.

Each year, we can only look at a handful of topics. To create this year's audit schedule, we prioritized issues related to public health, safety, and equity, and ways to respond to current and future needs of leaders and residents. City leaders and our audit team provided valuable input to help select these topics. We also invited local non-profit organizations to participate in focus groups and we sincerely appreciate the perspectives they offered. We look forward to drawing on their wisdom during our audits.

These topics were finally selected based on opportunities to provide adequate and timely insights to inform the City’s transition to a new form of government. This list reflects the greatest areas of concern for Portlanders and potential to build trust. A number of these audits were announced previously and are currently underway. We plan to resume presenting audit results to City Council as these audits are completed.

Here are the topics grouped by service area:

Administration

Information Technology Procurement (underway)

City's Approach to Managing its Assets

Community and Economic Development

Joint Office of Homeless Services' Shelter Services (underway)

Inclusionary Housing Policy Implementation and Results (underway)

Joint Office of Homeless Services' Rapid Rehousing Program

City’s Plans for Climate Justice

Public Works

Management of Vision Zero by the Bureau of Transportation (underway)

Public Safety

Workload Management in the Fire and Rescue Bureau (underway)

City Efforts to Reduce and Prevent Gun Violence

Culture and Livability

Parks and Recreation – Fiscal Management (underway)

City Arts Program’s Management of Arts Education and Access Fund (Arts Tax) and Relationship with the Regional Arts and Culture Council

The topics we plan to begin are subject to scoping, the process we use to research topics, identify areas that can benefit from our review, and plan our work. New topics may be substituted or added if higher priority issues emerge during the year.

If you have any ideas for future audit topics, please click here to suggest them.

We welcome your ideas and suggestions to improve government in Portland!

06/22/2023

We recently completed an audit regarding Portland Bureau of Transportation and its methods to ensure capital projects meet required specifications. While there are processes in place, our investigation revealed certain loopholes within the system that could allow for avoiding said processes.

While we found no evidence of inspections being bypassed, the current system has certain vulnerabilities. It's crucial to ensure project management software like e-Builder can reliably track necessary sign-offs to maintain our capital projects' integrity. Inconsistencies in practices and a lack of reports for exceptions are concerns we must address.

We need internal changes to ensure the wise use of taxpayer dollars and maintain quality control. Our recommendations include more effective monitoring of the paynote process and incorporating allowable exceptions into e-Builder.

The Portland Bureau of Transportation has responded with agreement on our recommendations. Transparency, accountability, and efficiency are of utmost importance, and we are committed to continually improving processes that impact our city.

The full report is accessible on our website at

Transportation had a formal process to document inspections before making payments, but staff were able to work around steps. Supervisors didn’t have procedures to identify allowable exceptions. We make recommendations to ensure staff follow the process and that supervisors are aware of exceptions...

06/21/2023

https://www.portland.gov/ombudsman/news/2023/6/20/protecting-undocumented-victims-crime

The Portland Police Bureau failed to live up to its responsibilities in handling U visas, which are designed to protect undocumented victims of crime. The City should act with urgency to remedy past harm and make programmatic changes to ensure problems do not resurface.

06/14/2023

We conducted a follow-up to our 2021 audit titled "Sewer Maintenance: Renewed attention to partnership needed to better serve ratepayers". We scrutinized the long-standing cooperation between two City bureaus – Transportation and Environmental Services – that manage the upkeep of the over 2,000 miles of underground pipes in Portland. Findings and recommendations suggest both progress and room for improvement.

The Transportation bureau has efficiently handled pandemic-related staffing and equipment challenges. They introduced single-occupant vehicles and flexible schedules to maintain repairs and regular maintenance while upholding COVID protocols. Additionally, the bureau addresses high vacancy rates and supply chain issues affecting vehicle and equipment upkeep.

Both bureaus have made efforts to ensure better management of materials used in sewer repairs. Transportation is implementing procedures and training for better tracking of materials used by crews and is working with Environmental Services to set a standard for reviewing discrepancies.

Despite our recommendation to review cost allocations in the Transportation's financial model, the bureau has continued using the existing model following a past city decision and federal guidelines. We suggest more transparency in reporting non-sewer maintenance-related costs.

We advised both bureaus to reassess their longstanding sewer maintenance agreement. Despite their decision to delay this until the city's governance transition, we believe the agreement should be revised sooner as the city forms a new organizational structure for more efficient services. Our aim is an open and accountable government that works in the public's best interest.

This is a one-year follow-up to our 2021 report Sewer Maintenance: Renewed attention to partnership needed to better serve ratepayers.

06/14/2023

https://www.portland.gov/audit-services/news/2023/6/12/audit-update-bureaus-have-taken-initial-steps-address-challenges

This is a one-year follow-up to our 2021 report Sewer Maintenance: Renewed attention to partnership needed to better serve ratepayers.

02/15/2023

Council is meeting at 2 pm today to discuss the Portland Children's Levy. Check out the agenda and watch LIVE: 👉http://bit.ly/3ilTqG7 👈on YouTube, Xfinity Channel 30 and 330, and in-person at City Hall.

02/15/2023

This morning’s Council meeting starts in 30 minutes! Check out the agenda and watch LIVE: 👉http://bit.ly/3ilTqG7👈 on YouTube, Xfinity Channel 30 and 330, and in-person at City Hall.

02/13/2023

🌅 Happy Monday! This week, there are two City Council meetings on Wednesday, February 15 at 9:30 am and 2pm. Check out the agenda and TUNE IN: 👉https://bit.ly/3ilTqG7👈

02/08/2023

🏠 Council is meeting at 2 pm today to discuss the Shelter to Housing Continuum - Part 2. Check out the agenda and watch LIVE: 👉http://bit.ly/3ilTqG7 👈on YouTube, Xfinity Channel 30 and 330, and in-person at City Hall.