* WARNING: THIS IS AN UNOFFICIAL, INTRODUCTORY COPY OF THE BILL.
THE OFFICIAL COPY CONSIDERED BY THE CITY COUNCIL IS THE FIRST READER COPY.
INTRODUCTORY*
CITY OF BALTIMORE
COUNCIL BILL R
(Resolution)
Introduced by: Councilmember Costello
A RESOLUTION ENTITLED
A COUNCIL RESOLUTION concerning
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Investigative Hearing - Status of Charter Required Agency Audits
FOR the purpose of calling on representatives from the Finance Department, Law Department, and Department of Audits to appear before the Council to provide a comprehensive update about the City's progress towards meeting the Charter requirement that designated City agencies be audited once every 4 years, and to discuss the City's plan for meeting this Charter obligation in a responsible and timely manner.
body
Recitals
In November of 2012 the voters of Baltimore City approved the addition of § 4.5 to Article VII of the City Charter, requiring quadrennial financial and performance audits of 13 designated principal City agencies. However, to date none of the required financial and performance audits have been completed.
The citizens of Baltimore who voted by a nearly 3 to 1 margin in favor of requiring these audits deserve an explanation for this situation. It is important that they, and the Council, be provided with an update about the expected time frame for initiation and completion of each of the 13 required agency audits, as well as information about the status of any audits in progress and the status of funding for each remaining audit. Any identified risks to completing all of the required audits by January of 2017 should also be revealed to the public and the Council.
Other broad questions about who is responsible for selecting the auditor, initiating a required audit, and determining the scope of the performance review to be carried out as part of the audits appear to remain unsettled as well. These questions need to be resolved, and a clear answer as to who is ultimately accountable for seeing the law carried out needs to be provided.
In order to get the City back on track to meet its Charter obligations it is essential that all of these concerns be addressed as soon as possible. The public deserves a full update on both the current status of these required audits and the action plan to complete the audits in a responsible and timely manner.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE, That the Council calls on representatives from the Finance Department, Law Department, and Department of Audits to appear before it to provide a comprehensive update about the City's progress towards meeting the Charter requirement that designated City agencies be audited once every 4 years, and to discuss the City's plan for meeting this Charter obligation in a responsible and timely manner.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be sent to the Mayor, the Solicitor, the Director of Finance, the Comptroller, the City Auditor, and the Mayor's Legislative Liaison to the City Council.
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