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City auditor presents follow-up on recommendations; several remain pending
Summary
The City Auditor's Office reported 10 audit recommendations implemented in 2025 and 84 pending; auditors highlighted progress in rental registration and SPU billing, raised concerns about implementation timelines on permitting and parks restrooms, and noted work on public-safety audits including a recent symposium and a pending $3M grant application.
Acting City Auditor Arushi Fakarwal and audit staff presented the annual follow-up on open audit recommendations, reporting their office tracked 94 open recommendations (including 20 issued in 2025), of which 10 were implemented during the reporting period and 84 remained pending as of Dec. 31, 2025.
Auditors cited notable implemented items: regulatory changes and data-sharing improvements tied to the rental registration and inspection audit, two implemented items from Seattle Public Utilities' residential solid waste billing controls audit, and partial progress on surveillance-technology reviews. Several multi-department recommendations remain pending; auditors noted that some recommendations require cross-agency work and time to implement fully.
On park restrooms and construction permitting, auditors said implementation has been limited so far: none of the six recommendations on park-restroom operations were implemented during the short follow-up window; construction-permitting recommendations remain outstanding though SDCI recently published a construction permit timeline visual to increase transparency.
Auditors also summarized public-safety audit work: they described a symposium convened by Council Members Rivera and Kettle with the National Network for Safe Communities and noted a collaborative SPD grant application (if selected, $3 million over five years) focused on a Belltown area featured in a 2024 audit. Staff mentioned available technical assistance from Johns Hopkins and Bloomberg that expires in September 2026.
Council members pressed for cross-departmental follow-up—especially on permitting and public-safety recommendations—and asked auditors to return with relevant departments for progress briefings. Auditors pointed the committee to a public dashboard for detailed recommendation-tracking and offered to work with departments on barriers to implementation.
Next steps: auditors will continue annual follow-ups, and council members signaled interest in joint briefings with departments and the mayor's office to accelerate implementation of long-pending recommendations.
