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New Newport News city auditor outlines office setup, anonymous fraud hotline and staffing plan
Summary
City Auditor Tammy Dantzler presented an entry plan to establish the office of the city auditor, create a shared workspace, stand up an anonymous fraud, waste and abuse hotline and post audit‑shop positions; a citywide risk assessment and an annual audit plan remain to be completed.
Tammy Dantzler, the city auditor, presented her office’s entry plan and told council she has focused on establishing the office charter and operational elements since starting Dec. 3, 2024.
Dantzler said she and staff met with the city manager and city attorney to draft an ordinance that will formally establish the office, and she is preparing operational items so the office can begin work once the ordinance is adopted. She said space constraints led staff to design a shared workspace for the auditor’s office and the city clerk rather than add private offices; renovations including carpet replacement and new furniture are planned and she expects the space to be ready within about 90 days.
A central operational item is an institutionalized fraud, waste and abuse hotline. Dantzler described the hotline as anonymous and accessible by phone, a portal on the city website, email, mailed letters or in‑person visits; callers who use the portal will receive a case number and passcode and be able to see whether a submission was authenticated, referred, or closed, she said. “Authentication means that we decide whether we need to investigate or if it's something outside our jurisdiction or it's something that we need to refer,” she told the council.
Dantzler said human resources and budget staff have supported job postings for auditor‑office positions and she expected positions to be posted by the end of the week. She told council that a citywide risk assessment has not yet been completed; once it is, she will use it to develop the office’s annual audit plan, which she plans to present publicly for council approval.
She also discussed the need for an electronic system to manage audit recommendations and corrective action plans so the auditor’s office can follow up on department responses. Dantzler said she has met with the city’s innovation office, reviewed vendor demos and local government practices, and will continue vendor assessment to determine whether to build an in‑house tool or purchase an existing product.
Dantzler introduced two staff members present at the meeting, Susie and Jennifer, and thanked council and city management for support during the onboarding process.
