Auditor's Office July 2019 Newsletter

The sun is out, the flowers are growing, and we're hard at work auditing.

Dear friends and neighbors,

As the summer unfolds, my office continues to diligently work on audits of mental health services, primary care clinics, and services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Every day we track down and analyze data; talk to County employees and clients; research law, policy, and best practices; and determine how to get from where we are to where we want to be as an organization. I’m grateful to my teammates in the Auditor’s Office for the thoughtful work they do every day on behalf of County residents. 

 

This month I attended the Coalition of Gresham Neighborhood Associations meeting. I was impressed with the thoughtful questions people asked about the audit process and specific issues in their neighborhoods. We also managed to carve out time this month to complete an archiving project. It feels good to turn over a new leaf by clearing out some space and placing our older documents in the County archives. 

Finally, July 30th is National Whistleblower's Day! On this day, whistleblowers are recognized for their courage to shine light on hidden problems - from the ten Revolutionary War sailors who spurred the first whistleblower law by standing up to their corrupt commander, to the tipsters who initiated the toppling of Enron’s house of cards and Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme. The Auditor’s Office is using this important day to let you know we value those willing to blow the whistle, and to share the work we are doing to ensure that the Good Government Hotline is a safe, responsive, effective place to report misconduct. Read on to learn more about some important changes we're making to the Good Government Hotline. 

Best,

Jennifer


Changes to the Good Government Hotline

Good Government Hotline photo

Since 2007, the Good Government Hotline has provided employees and the public a way to report tips about fraud, waste, and abuse of position in County government. The Hotline promotes fairness and honesty in government, safeguards County resources, and helps preserve the integrity of County government. Employees and community members can submit tips online, or call 888-289-6839. The identity of reporters will remain confidential, and reporters can remain anonymous if they choose. 

The Auditor’s Office is making changes to  strengthen the hotline. Previously, staff auditors Marc Rose and  Fran Davison staffed the hotline, but also worked on audits at the same time. I've assigned Marc, a certified fraud examiner with investigations and enforcement experience, to staff the hotline full time. Fran will continue to serve the hotline in an advisory role. We are also strengthening hotline procedures to better align with those for highly regarded hotlines, such as the City and County of San Francisco’s. In an effort to promote transparency and accountability, we will regularly summarize report findings on our website, including recommendations to County management and actions taken. Your experiences matter to us, and we will take all tips seriously.

Community members and county employees are welcome to visit the Auditor’s Office, email or call me to share concerns. If you would like staff from the Auditor’s Office to present information about the Hotline, please contact Marc Rose at 503-988-3320.