City auditor outlines duties, staffing limits and says citizens should use council or Right-to-Know for audit requests
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Summary
City Auditor Maria Rodriguez described the office’s responsibilities — reviewing city finances, accounts payable and internal controls — and said subpoenas were not used in her term. Commissioners pressed for greater auditor autonomy and more staff to expand investigatory work.
Maria Rodriguez, the city auditor, told the Charter Review Commission she is responsible for overseeing city finances, reviewing the annual budget and monitoring internal controls that support accounts payable and other expenditures. "I was the interim city auditor June 1, 2019," Rodriguez said, noting she was later elected to the office and is now serving a second term.
Rodriguez said audit-related reports — including credit-card and departmental audits — are presented publicly and available on the city website. She described cooperation with outside auditors who perform the annual financial audit and said the auditor’s office ensures supporting documentation is attached before payments are processed.
When commissioners asked whether citizens can directly request the auditor to open an investigation, Rodriguez said the charter does not provide a specific citizen-initiated audit pathway. "If you have something specific, you can put a Right to Know request and get the information," she said, adding that internal audits are generally at the discretion of the auditor or by direction of city council.
Rodriguez also addressed the office’s capacity to investigate suspected losses. She said her staff is small — "myself, one full-time person and a part-time position that is empty now" — and that broader investigatory work would require additional hires. The commission discussed market rates for part-time audit staff (Rodriguez said the last part-time hire was paid $23 an hour) and turnover challenges.
On subpoenas, Rodriguez said she has not issued any during her term. Commissioners urged clearer pathways so residents who raise concerns about spending can have them reviewed; several members suggested strengthening the auditor’s independence in the charter to reduce perceived pressure from the administration or council. The commission did not take formal action on changes; counsel advised that structural changes to auditor authority would need to be pursued through the appointing authorities or by ballot questions.
The commission agreed to review these topics further as it develops charter questions and to consider staffing and reporting requirements in follow-up discussions.
