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Tag Archives: Austin City Council Audit and Finance Committee
Audit flags oversight gaps in APD license plate reader pilot
A recent audit of the Austin Police Department’s License Plate Reader (LPR) program found that while the department largely complied with policies during the yearlong pilot, internal audit procedures and vendor contracts left room for improvement and potential privacy risks.…
Police • By Chad Swiatecki • May 21, 2025
Audit cites city failures to address discrimination, harassment
The city has made some progress in handling discrimination, harassment and retaliation complaints by city employees, but some investigations still fail to follow basic rules for conducting such inquiries, according to an audit conducted by the City Auditor’s Office. Members…
City Hall • By Jo Clifton • May 20, 2025
Homelessness strategy plan calls for $101M in spending from city, partner groups
Austin’s Homeless Strategy Office is proposing a funding package totaling just under $101 million for homelessness response efforts in the city’s next budget, with about one-third allocated toward maintaining existing programs, one-third for new city investments, and one-third for initiatives…
Austin • By Chad Swiatecki • Apr 29, 2025
Council Audit and Finance Committee hears updates on APD recruiting and hiring practices
On Wednesday, City Council’s Audit and Finance Committee heard a briefing on the Austin Police Department’s recruiting and hiring efforts. City leaders have been raising concerns about APD response times and staffing of sworn and non-sworn public safety employees for…
Police • By Mina Shekarchi • Apr 18, 2025
APD gets temporary extension of license plate reader program
The Austin Police Department’s use of automated license plate readers as an investigative tool will continue through June, City Council decided last week. Later this year, Council will determine whether to make the pilot program a permanent feature, depending on…
Police • By Amy Smith • Mar 31, 2025
Tax rate election looks likely for Austin this year
Under state law, Austin is only allowed to raise its tax rate by 3.5 percent without asking voters for permission. That law has been on the books since 2019 without the city scheduling a regular tax rate election. But it…
City Hall • By Jo Clifton • Mar 28, 2025
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Audit finds Austin Water needs to document how it fixes leaks
While Austin Water has worked to limit the amount of water lost through breaks in its water lines, over time the amount of water lost through such leaks has steadily increased, according to an audit discussed at the City Council…
Water • By Jo Clifton • Mar 27, 2025
Audit and Finance seeks more input before voting on board and commission changes
The City Council Audit and Finance Committee on Wednesday deliberated scaling back about two dozen of the city’s boards, commissions and other governmental bodies but ultimately took no action pending further input from the affected groups. The discussion centered on…
City Hall • By Amy Smith • Feb 20, 2025
City’s new travel policy aligns with best practices used in other cities
The city’s travel reimbursement process for employees appears to be working well since the policy was updated early this year, according to an audit of the new policy presented Tuesday to City Council’s Audit and Finance Committee. While the audit…
Austin • By Amy Smith • Nov 13, 2024
Auditor examines city's shifting funding, expectations for Cultural Arts grants
A recent report from the City Auditor highlights a recurring state of flux for Cultural Arts funding in recent years, which has fed into the ongoing debate over how the city manages those grant programs. The audit, which was requested…
City Hall • By Chad Swiatecki • Oct 30, 2024
Council OKs contract for new academy to train ‘workforce of the future’
City Council on Thursday approved a $5 million contract with Workforce Solutions Capital Area to start and manage the Austin Infrastructure Academy for 12 months. In addition to job training, the contract with Workforce Solutions includes the provision of child…
Austin • By Jo Clifton • Oct 14, 2024
Report highlights need for future airport audits
The city’s Aviation Department faces a variety of risks, particularly related to insufficient staffing, according to a report from the Office of the City Auditor. Auditor-in-charge Kathie Harrison told the Council Audit & Finance Committee on Wednesday that the three…
