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Residents press council for independent audit commission, cite sparse contract audits
Summary
Public commenters urged the council to create an independent audit commission and extend the charter-review outreach, saying recent reviews found only a small fraction of large contracts audited and asking the city to strengthen oversight.
Several residents used public comment at the June 30 meeting to press for stronger fiscal oversight and for broader public participation in an upcoming charter review.
Herbert Milano, speaking during community announcements and again in oral communications, urged attendees to join a charter-review meeting and argued the city needs an independent audit commission. “We are discussing an initiative to create a truly independent audit commission,” Milano said, and later noted, “In a period of three years, the city spent over $1,000,000,000 in contracts. There were 92 of them. And only three of them were audited.”
Beth Brooks, speaking in the second period of oral communications, echoed calls for transparency and said residents want audits and inclusion of vulnerable populations in rental-assistance programs. “I’d like you to be inclusive of people who want audits like Mr. Milano,” Brooks said, and urged officials to ensure the public can meaningfully participate in charter-review deliberations.
Council did not take formal action on the audit commission during the meeting; Milano asked residents to attend the charter-review meeting scheduled for July 2. The city manager and staff did not present a response or timeline for establishing an independent audit body during the session.
