Former City Auditor Pete Gonzales opinion in Express-News

Pete Gonzales (photo)

Opinion article in SAEN, Friday, July 18th

The audits we performed during my tenure as city auditor, whether financial or performance, provided the city with value.

We aided the police department in determining the accuracy of the Uniform Crime Reporting system. Our audit recommendations to strengthen the poor internal controls in golf course operations and cultural arts affairs provided the city the opportunity to increase revenue from each of those areas. We identified contractor overcharges in the Aviation Department and saved the taxpayers $250,000 on this project alone.

Our extensive audit procedures revealed that Texas Towing had not overcharged the city on the wrecker service contract. Moreover, my expertise in government contracting prompted me to question the methods in which city officials were awarding some contracts without competition. Despite the value these audits provided the citizens of San Antonio, the findings were the beginning of my differences with the city manager.

The planned playground audit emerged as a prime opportunity to orchestrate my departure. The hasty manner in which city officials rushed to devise my departure without further investigation is starkly contrasted with the number of days that elapsed before City Manager Sheryl Sculley requested the resignation of the director of Parks and Recreation. This further demonstrates city officials' determination to curtail the independence of the city auditor. The mayor has established a panel to clarify the role of the city auditor.

However, the composition of the panel would be better served by including members from the Institute of Internal Auditors, Association of Local Government Auditors or the Association of Government Accountants who fully understand the role of an independent city auditor and audit subcommittee.

To place on the panel a Councilman, whose lack of objectivity was clearly demonstrated by his insistent denial of the playground audit, is a direct insult to the citizens of San Antonio and exacerbates distrust in city government.

In the weeks since my resignation, numerous other issues have come to light revealing more cause for public distrust in city government. A notable example is the Express-News article "Emergency Demolition Without Notice," (July 13th) which revealed city management's disgraceful failure to follow city policies and procedures. This is exactly why the citizens of San Antonio need a truly independent city auditor with the authority to audit at will.

Without the ability of the Office of City Auditor to provide strong, independent oversight, more fraud, waste, abuse and cover-ups will continue. I suggest the responsibility of the Office of Municipal Integrity Group be moved to the City Auditor's Office. This would provide whistleblower protection for city employees and a forum for the citizens of San Antonio to report their concerns with the confidence they would not be ignored or, worse, covered up by city management.

Maintaining the Office of Municipal Integrity under the direction of the city manager is a direct conflict of interest. In addition, I suggest what is needed is a city auditor who is selected by the people of San Antonio in an open election much like Houston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and other large cities.

I urge the citizens of San Antonio to continue to stand up and speak up for the good of our city, and I applaud the Express News for diligently keeping the light of public scrutiny shining brightly on all government accountability issues.