Austin audit report wins national prize

The Office of the City Auditor has been chosen as having the best performance audit in the extra-large shop category for its 2020 report on the Austin Code Department’s Repeat Offender Program. The 2020 Distinguished Knighton award comes from the Association of Local Government Auditors and will be presented virtually at the group’s annual conference on May 4. The audit focused on ensuring that rental property owners maintained safe properties, but found that was not the case. Auditors wrote, “Austin’s Repeat Offender Program, as currently administered, does not ensure renters are living in properties that meet minimum health and safety standards. The program, though well-intended, is not meeting this goal in part because rental property owners have not been regulated or incentivized to correct code violations.” Each year, local government audit organizations submit their best reports for judging. The purpose of the competition is to improve government services by encouraging excellence among local government auditors. The Office of the City Auditor publishes its reports so that everyone can read the results of its work, which are publicly presented to the City Council Audit & Finance Committee.