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Controller warns Workday/HRP backlog and controls gaps add risk; requests resources for audits and payroll review
Summary
The Controller told the committee that HRP/Workday implementation still produces a backlog and manual fixes, that payroll and vendor controls remain incomplete, and that the office needs more auditors to review federal and regulatory grants and improper spending.
City Controller staff told the Budget and Finance Committee that implementation of the HRP/Workday system has improved payroll stability but continues to generate a backlog of help-desk tickets and requires manual work to correct errors, increasing workload for the Controller’s Office.
“Employees are getting paid,” the Controller said, but added that the office still receives more than 2,000 help-desk tickets annually with a backlog of about 300 open tickets. The Controller emphasized the need for continued IT support after July 1 and said the office contracted two temporary positions to help clear the backlog before the new fiscal year.
Committee members asked whether the Controller’s office can expand pre-payment reviews and audits given staffing limits. The Controller said the office is short-staffed: the performance-audit team has seven auditors for the entire city, down from dozens a decade ago, so it can manage only two to three audits per year. Councilwoman Hutt and others therefore requested memos on targeted audits, including a specific request to review state grant administration at the Department of Cannabis Regulation and to identify unused or underused special funds.
The Controller also discussed risk in vendor and payroll processes: departments with manual uploads into Workday (not fully integrated) require pre-review controls that the Controller said the office cannot fully perform at current staffing levels. The office requested additional overtime funding (an example request: increase towards $200,000) and asked for options to fill seven unfunded positions to support payroll and financial controls.
