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Council committee advances proposal for auditor‑led, citywide efficiency assessment; Feb. 5 set as possible earliest vote
Summary
Committee reviewed a proposed ordinance to establish a citywide, auditor‑led efficiency assessment with benchmarking and periodic cycles; auditor and manager outlined a multi‑year, fund‑by‑fund approach and staff agreed to provide cost estimates and implementation details ahead of council consideration.
Committee members discussed a proposed ordinance intended to create an independent, auditor‑led comprehensive efficiency assessment for the city, with reports and public dashboards intended to link efficiency findings to strategic goals.
"The earliest vote would be February the February 5 meeting," the presiding officer said, laying out a timeline that would allow two work sessions before a council vote. City Auditor Jason Haddavi described the effort as multiyear and fund‑by‑fund: "We're gonna break up the assessment cycle over multiple years because the city is so large and complex," he said.
Haddavi and council members discussed scope and independence: the auditor would lead selection of assessment targets to preserve independence, while council and the manager would receive periodic reports and could request assessments. Haddavi emphasized that standards will vary by department and fund and that external consultants may be used when specialized expertise is required.
Concerns focused on cost, timing and the charter amendment alternative. Councilmembers asked for a staff estimate of likely consultant costs and whether a charter amendment's requirement that consultants identify savings equal to or greater than their cost could create perverse incentives. Haddavi said he could not provide firm pricing until bids were solicited but acknowledged funding would be needed for external support.
City management said the ordinance dovetails with internal initiatives (shared services optimization, social services reset, IT audits) and that staff would continue concurrent work whether or not the ordinance passes. Chief Financial Officer Ed Van Eno explained that while the city manager recommends budgets (including auditor's), council retains final budget authority.
The committee asked staff to provide clearer cost estimates and options (full implementation, charter scope, and a scaled plan) before the item reaches full council. The ordinance language as written includes reporting requirements and a proposed cycle (a multi‑year assessment followed by a three‑year break to allow implementation and evaluation).
