As a City Councillor I spend a major part of my time working with residents on local issues as well as planning ahead on upcoming projects in our Ward. Like all Councillors I also sit on a number of city wide committees that work on issues that touch all wards.
In my case I sit on the Transit Commission, the Ottawa Public Health Board, the Ottawa Community Housing Board and the Audit Committee. I also regularly attend most of the other municipal standing committees and asked questions on behalf of our community.
This past week I attended the Audit Committee meeting where there was a report on Six Investigations that were done by the Auditor General Ken Hughes in 2017 and where he gave an update on whether or not the recommendations he made were followed through. Committee members asked questions of city staff on the completion of these recommendations. This meeting showed an important part of the auditing process where Councillors could learn on how problems were dealt with and what follow up was done. (follow-up reports)
I am proud of the work of the Office of the Auditor General in ensuring that taxpayer’s dollars are well spent on the projects they were intended for. I am pleased to be part of this committee as we continue to verify the value of our city programs. I also appreciate that the Auditor General has a Fraud and Waste Hotline and number (1-866-959-9309) where city residents like yourselves can report incidents of suspected fraud, waste or other inappropriate activity.
Accountability is an important part of governance and I want to thank Mr. Hughes for his many years of service to our city. We are well served when we can rely on the non partial expertise of the Auditor General’s office to ensure we have excellent municipal services.
Be kind, stay well, stay safe and always be #COVIDWise
