{"id":314,"date":"2023-02-20T18:02:25","date_gmt":"2023-02-20T19:02:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/macroron.com\/?p=314"},"modified":"2024-09-04T17:10:11","modified_gmt":"2024-09-04T17:10:11","slug":"endorsement-tim-obrien-for-denver-auditor-will-bring-tried-and-true-leadership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/macroron.com\/index.php\/2023\/02\/20\/endorsement-tim-obrien-for-denver-auditor-will-bring-tried-and-true-leadership\/","title":{"rendered":"Endorsement: Tim O\u2019Brien for Denver auditor will bring tried and true leadership"},"content":{"rendered":"

Editor’s note:<\/strong> This represents the opinion of The Denver Post editorial board<\/a>, which is separate from the paper’s news operation.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

Now is not the time to shake up the Denver Auditor\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n

The city needs tried and true leadership in this crucial oversight role and Tim O\u2019Brien fits the bill.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s served two terms in the office and has sought an expanded role for the auditors working in his office. O’Brien has implemented security audits for the first time that have successfully sleuthed out IT vulnerabilities across the city. And some of the office’s best work has been audits of external city programs that are still funded by Denver taxpayers.<\/p>\n

His notable record includes an office that has won several Knighton Awards — given by the Association of Local Government Auditors for the best performance audit reports of the year in the U.S. Most recently the office earned a \u201cdistinguished\u201d rating for its audit of the airport parking shuttle system<\/a> where reviewers noted the audit\u2019s recommendations could \u201censure compliance with the shuttle service contract; shuttle services are provided at the best value, and passengers receive quality and timely shuttle service.\u201d<\/p>\n

O\u2019Brien\u2019s office has been proven right in its assessment of the city\u2019s half-baked plan to roll out the \u201cpay-as-you-throw\u201d program. O\u2019Brien noted at the time that \u201cgiven the city\u2019s strained resources, the expansion of recycling and compost service next year will be a significant burden that might not come with the hoped-for environmental benefits.\u201d<\/p>\n

And here we are two months into the new program and residents still don\u2019t have compost bins, everyone is unclear about the timeline and nothing has changed except for fees being imposed. While weekly recycling has begun, smaller or larger trash cans have not been delivered to those who have ordered them. <\/p>\n

What a shame that Denver City Council and the mayor\u2019s office didn\u2019t read the audit<\/a> and put the brakes on a program that was destined for a poor debut. The city should have cleaned up its trash department \u2014 including addressing a costly, aging fleet and workforce issues \u2014 before concerning itself so much with how Denverites choose to run their household waste.<\/p>\n

O\u2019Brien needs to use his next term, if voters grant him one, to push even more. The trash audit is a perfect example of where he could have used the platform his office affords to \u2014 while, of course, maintaining the neutrality required of auditors \u2014 advocate more forcefully for a direction change.<\/p>\n

Also, there is a role for the auditor\u2019s office to examine contracts and look for conflicts of interest in how the city awards millions of dollars to bidders. The auditor\u2019s office can look for misappropriation of taxpayer dollars in special districts in the city, especially as The River Mile project begins and private developers look to spend hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars through several metro districts, which are often completely controlled by the developers with little to no external oversight.<\/p>\n