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Behind the Headlines: Critical juncture at auditor's office

Retired city auditor: Move would create a system without proper oversight

As the Palo Alto City Council prepares to outsource the city auditor position, which was created by voters in 1983, former City Auditor Sharon Erickson discusses the auditor's function and her belief that moving it out of City Hall would be a mistake.

Watch the webcast here or listen to the podcast version of the episode here.

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Behind the Headlines: Critical juncture at auditor's office

Retired city auditor: Move would create a system without proper oversight

As the Palo Alto City Council prepares to outsource the city auditor position, which was created by voters in 1983, former City Auditor Sharon Erickson discusses the auditor's function and her belief that moving it out of City Hall would be a mistake.

Watch the webcast here or listen to the podcast version of the episode here.

Subscribe to the "Behind the Headlines" podcast

We now have a podcast! Listen to Behind the Headlines while you're on the go by downloading free episodes of our new podcast, now available through Apple or Google Play.

Webcasts are posted every Friday afternoon on PaloAltoOnline.com, as well as on Palo Alto Online's YouTube channel, youtube.com/paweekly.

Check out previous weeks' episodes in the "Behind the Headlines" archive.

Comments

Paul
Barron Park
on Feb 28, 2020 at 10:57 pm
Paul, Barron Park
on Feb 28, 2020 at 10:57 pm

Lavishly-paid bureaucrats do not want anyone asking questions. They will always prefer to pay some person or company to examine nothing and keep quiet. As to compensation, if anyone cares, see TRANSPARENT CALIFORNIA.COM


observant
Duveneck/St. Francis
on Mar 2, 2020 at 1:00 pm
observant, Duveneck/St. Francis
on Mar 2, 2020 at 1:00 pm

Outsourcing sounds like another layer of bureaucracy that we could do with out.


Anon
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Mar 2, 2020 at 1:24 pm
Anon, Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Mar 2, 2020 at 1:24 pm

Why not appoint a highly-experienced auditor to a short-term 1-year contract now? These are jobs that normally should be less than 6 year tenures anyway, and, I'm sure that there are semi-retired people out there who have left their previous positions for job/retirement benefit reasons, who could come back to work on a short-term contract and get this office rolling again. We, the public, deserve this independent view of city government.


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