Commission orders audit of p-card and procurement practices after concerns over contractor card use

Commissioners on Nov. 5 directed the city auditor to review procurement card (p‑card) use and related policies after Commissioner Cantu raised concerns about multiple purchases that she said appeared to be outside typical procedures, including contractor employees with active p‑cards.

Cantu described instances she said looked irregular — purchases at grocery stores, travel or training charges for contractor employees, monthly cellphone charges and other line items — and said the city’s p‑card policy was outdated. She asked the auditor to examine both the policy and actual p‑card transactions and to recommend policy changes. The newly hired city auditor, who said he will begin with a policy review and sample testing of expenditures, told commissioners that if he finds evidence of inappropriate personal use he would refer it for further investigation; he also requested the commission avoid commenting in ways that might prejudice an independent audit.

City staff said some contractor cards had already been deactivated and noted that some city-sponsored events and authorized activities routinely use cards for multiple purchases. Commissioners asked the auditor to prioritize the review but to balance it with his existing audit workload. Several commissioners stressed the need both for transparency and for context when reviewing purchases (for example, multiple same-day purchases may reflect event purchases not misuse).

The auditor said he would produce a full audit and recommendations on policy, controls, and oversight procedures and return the findings to the commission in a public session.