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<\/p>\nAUSTIN, Texas \u2014 Austinites will vote on Proposition I in November, which has sparked debate over its proposed amendment to the Austin City Charter.<\/p>\n
If approved by voters, Prop I would require recurring, comprehensive efficiency audits of City of Austin departments by an independent third party. It would also require an efficiency audit every five years and before any maintenance-and-operation tax rate increase elections.<\/p>\n
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Dozens gathered outside Austin City Hall to speak against Prop I (Photo: CBS Austin\/Audrey Wong)<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Austin City Council unanimously approved a city ordinance in February, authorizing a recurring, comprehensive efficiency audit. <\/p>\n
In August, city council approved a $5.23 million contract hiring third-party Public Works LLC to conduct the citywide audit.<\/p>\n
“The current efficiency assessment is underway. We hired Public Works LLC. They’ve assigned over 25 consultants who have started their work. We’ve broken it up into three years, and there are 20 departments being covered in year one,” said City Auditor Jason Hadavi.<\/p>\n
Arguments in favor of Prop I<\/p>\n
Those in favor of Prop I say it would increase transparency around city spending of taxpayer dollars.<\/p>\n
“The scope of the independent outside audit would be not just for how the money is being spent and not just for what ideas of more efficiency could occur… but the one of the differences is this audit, first of all, looks at affordability,” said Bill Aleshire, the author of Prop I.<\/p>\n
Advocates of the proposition argue that the City Charter should be amended, as the existing city ordinance could be changed or overturned by a majority vote by city council.<\/p>\n
“City Council could cancel this contract the day after the election if they wanted to,” said Prop I author Bill Aleshire. “They cannot do that if the charter amendment passes. It is a command from the people of Austin to perform this audit, and they must do it.”<\/p>\n
Arguments against Prop I<\/p>\n
Opponents argue that Prop I is redundant, as the city has already created a recurring, independent citywide audit.<\/p>\n
“Austin is already doing an efficiency assessment, so Prop I isn’t giving us some new tool we don’t already have,” said Savannah Lee with Equity Action, speaking among dozens who gathered outside City Hall to speak against Prop I. “All it does is risk making taxpayers pay to do more of what the city is already doing.”<\/p>\n
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Dozens gathered outside Austin City Hall to speak against Prop I (Photo: CBS Austin\/Audrey Wong)<\/p>\n
Those against the proposition also expressed concerns that city services could see cuts if Prop I passes. <\/p>\n
Prop I would require the independent consultants to identify areas of savings for the city that exceed the cost of conducting the audit. Opponents worry that consultants would recommend slashing various city services during their identification of these cost-saving areas.<\/p>\n
What would approval of Prop I mean for taxpayers?<\/p>\n
Aleshire argues that the approval of Prop I by voters would not duplicate the efficiency audits, and he said Prop I would not necessarily mean the existing contract with Public Works LLC would need to be scrapped.<\/p>\n
“There’s not going to be two audits. They’re going to have to conform their notion of their audit to fulfill what the people mandate through the charter,” he said. “There’s no prohibition against them hiring the same contractor they’ve got,” he continued.<\/p>\n
However, City Auditor Jason Hadavi said the terms of Prop I would likely require a new contract, if not a new contractor.<\/p>\n
“I believe we would have to find someone else,” said Hadavi. “Not that Public Works couldn’t do it. I don’t think that they could do it under this current contract.\u201d <\/p>\n
“Prop I requires my office to, if passed, to find an independent contractor to conduct an efficiency study and to accomplish that within one year,” he explained.<\/p>\n
Currently, Public Works LLC is conducting the citywide efficiency study over the course of three years.<\/p>\n