Auditor-s-Office-PADS-Volume-3---Requested-Budget

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Breadcrumb: 8 eo › Auditor-s-Office-PADS-Volume-3---Requested-Budget

Office of the City Auditor Office of the City Auditor

Office of the City Auditor Office of the City Auditor Office of the City Auditor Simone Rede, City Auditor Percent of City Budget Graph Office of the City Auditor 0.2% City Budget 99.8% Bureau Programs Ombudsman Office 4.5% Hearings Office 6.6% Administration and Support 26.7% Elections 10.1% Council Clerk and Contracts 7.2% Campaign Finance 1.4% Audit Services 18.8% Archives and Records Management 24.6% Bureau Overview Requested Revised Total Change from Percent Requirements FY 2024-25 2025-26 Prior Year Change Operating $13,757,257 $14,312,502 $555,245 4% Capital Total $13,757,257 $14,312,502 $555,245 4% Authorized Positions 46.00 46.00 — —% 2 City of Portland | FY2025-26 Requested Budget

Office of the City Auditor Office of the City Auditor Archives & Records Management Program Description & Goals Archives & Records Management ensures open and accountable government through records policies, training, managing the Portland Archives & Records Center (PARC), providing reference services for employees and the public, and administering the City’s electronic records management system, Content Manager. In FY 2023-24, staff assisted 485 researchers and will assist an estimated 600 in FY 2025-26. Use of the public portal, Efiles, is an indicator of success in providing a centralized repository for accessing City records. In FY 2023-24, Efiles received 128,000 unique visits, 674,000 page views, and 4.8 million electronic document views. The target for FY 2025-26 is 147,200 unique visits. Equity Impacts Community access, engagement, and partnerships are primary tenets of Archives & Records Management’s equity goals. The Division works to (1) develop reciprocal relationships with community organizations, (2) create exhibits and oral history recordings that are inclusive of diverse communities, and (3) decrease or eliminate barriers to systemically-excluded people wishing to access records. Archives continues to increase access to record sets on Efiles documenting systemically-excluded populations and create a more accessible research and work environment at PARC. Division staff worked with a prominent social justice community group to develop an archival education workshop to community members that it continues to replicate for other community groups. Archives staff work to collect stories from communities that are underrepresented in the City Archives including Portlanders living outside and those that provide services to them. Staff make those stories and others accessible through exhibition and circulating materials in partnership with public libraries and community groups. The division also developed a reparative description policy and is implementing that policy throughout its collections. Records Management staff are working to increase government transparency and compliance with public records law through explicit records guidance and increased support for elected officials and their staff. This work directly impacts systemically-excluded communities by ensuring evidentiary records needed to advocate for and advance equity in the City are available and discoverable. Changes to Program The addition of eight Council members, the City Administrator’s Office, and other new workgroups will have an ongoing impact on staff to address increased training, technical support, electronic and physical records transfers, and needed records policies and guidance. An existing Division staff member was reassigned to the Records Management workgroup to support services for City employees. The Division will lead a Citywide retention schedule update in FY 2025-26 to reflect the City’s organizational changes and current State public records law and will pilot an approach to email management that automates retention and destruction, increasing compliance and lifting the burden of filing emails from employees. City of Portland | FY2025-26 Requested Budget 3

Office of the City Auditor Office of the City Auditor Spending for FY 2024-25 has returned to pre-pandemic levels as a result of returning to in-person work. External materials and services spending for FY 2025-26 will reflect increased public engagement, community outreach, licensing costs for Content Manager, and additional workload resulting from the new City structure. Program Budget Requested Requested Actuals Actuals Revised No DP Total FY 2022-23 FY2023-24 FY 2024-25 2025-26 2025-26 Requirements Bureau Expenditures Personnel Services 968,719 1,338,317 1,311,513 1,436,720 1,436,720 External Materials and Services 195,792 154,168 279,155 282,880 282,880 Internal Materials and Services 1,549,840 1,629,537 1,693,348 1,791,804 1,791,804 Bureau Expenditures Total 2,714,351 3,122,022 3,284,016 3,511,404 3,511,404 Requirements Total 2,714,351 3,122,022 3,284,016 3,511,404 3,511,404 FTE 8.00 7.00 8.00 8.00 8.00 4 City of Portland | FY2025-26 Requested Budget

Office of the City Auditor Office of the City Auditor Audit Services Program Description & Goals The mission of the Audit Services Division is to promote equitable, efficient, effective, and fully accountable City government. To accomplish this mission, we analyze the performance and management of City operations, recommending changes to improve services. We also coordinate the City’s external financial audit and operate the Auditor’s Fraud Hotline. Our reports enhance accountability of City spending and decision-making. We follow Government Auditing Standards and have strict internal quality control procedures to ensure accuracy. We are revising our performance measures related to productivity and effectiveness for comparison with our peers. To measure productivity, we track the number of reports issued. In 2024, we issued five performance audit reports. We use the percent of audit recommendations implemented to measure effectiveness. In 2023, the most recent year that we have data for, the Citywide implementation rate was 46%, below the average implementation rate of other cities (58%). We are continuing to collect relevant data to identify trends and related goals. Equity Impacts Audit Services takes steps in the audit process to evaluate the effect of City services on all residents and any disparate outcomes for Portland’s diverse communities. We begin by soliciting audit topic ideas online and directly through outreach to community groups. We prioritize audit topics that matter to the community when developing our annual audit schedule and use community focus groups to identify interest in suggested topics. During an audit, we brainstorm potential equity impacts to determine whether the program could be adversely affecting vulnerable communities, whether those disparities are being tracked or addressed, and who in the community we should consult during fieldwork. In many cases, data are not readily available to identify disparate impacts. In that case, auditors consider whether additional fieldwork is needed to assess potential disparities. Finally, in each audit, the Division reaches out to community members impacted by the program to share results. Changes to Program In 2024, we began publishing a comprehensive Citywide report on the status of audit recommendations to highlight the progress and work of the City, and what more could be achieved by implementing outstanding recommendations from our audits. This report replaces the follow-up reports we were publishing for individual audits at their one- and two-year anniversaries. Program Budget Requested Requested Actuals Actuals Revised No DP Total FY 2022-23 FY2023-24 FY 2024-25 2025-26 2025-26 Requirements Bureau Expenditures Personnel Services 1,563,536 1,717,070 1,817,993 1,959,497 1,959,497 External Materials and Services 490,698 328,330 570,560 651,560 651,560 Internal Materials and Services 43,572 45,929 93,612 72,508 72,508 City of Portland | FY2025-26 Requested Budget 5

Office of the City Auditor Office of the City Auditor Program Budget Requested Requested Actuals Actuals Revised No DP Total FY 2022-23 FY2023-24 FY 2024-25 2025-26 2025-26 Bureau Expenditures Total 2,097,806 2,091,330 2,482,165 2,683,565 2,683,565 Requirements Total 2,097,806 2,091,330 2,482,165 2,683,565 2,683,565 FTE 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 6 City of Portland | FY2025-26 Requested Budget

Office of the City Auditor Office of the City Auditor Council Clerk Program Description & Goals The Council Clerk administers City Council business, manages the repository for Portland Policy Documents, and maintains City Charter and Code. In FY 2024-25, the Council Clerk transitioned from a program to a division of the Auditor’s Office, which reflects the increase in the scope and scale of the team’s responsibilities in the mayor-council form of government and its more complex legislative process. Division success is measured by compliance with State and City law to notice and administer Council meetings, work sessions, and committee meetings, ensure access to Council decisions, produce minutes, and support the public to engage with Council during public meetings. Equity Impacts The Division’s equity goals include ensuring equitable participation in public communications and testimony at Council meetings. The Division collects demographic data from public testifiers to determine if there is equitable access for systemically-excluded Portlanders. Staff collect and analyze the data to identify and support the Office’s outreach to communities with lower levels of engagement. Improving accessibility to Council documents is also a Division priority. The agenda management system was designed to be available on all types of devices and is accessible for screen readers. The agenda management system has been updated to accommodate eight Council committees and their meetings to ensure public access to public meetings and Council decisions. Additional updates have been made to integrate agenda items across the City website to increase public and staff awareness. Changes to Program The Division has been directly impacted by the expansion of Council from five to 12 members and the addition of Council committee meetings to regular Council meetings and work sessions. The administrative tasks required to support public Council meetings have multiplied as each additional committee meeting requires an agenda, clerking, documenting Council actions, preparing minutes, and archiving documents. City of Portland | FY2025-26 Requested Budget 7

Office of the City Auditor Office of the City Auditor In FY 2024-25, Council approved the addition of two administrative specialists to support the increased workload anticipated from the change in government. The request for two additional staff was based on recommendations from City staff and the Government Transition Advisory Committee that Council form no more than four committees to start. Instead, Council formed eight committees, and the Division remains understaffed to adequately support Council. Program Budget Requested Requested Actuals Actuals Revised No DP Total FY 2022-23 FY2023-24 FY 2024-25 2025-26 2025-26 Requirements Bureau Expenditures Personnel Services 0 0 0 980,277 980,277 External Materials and Services 0 0 0 39,920 39,920 Internal Materials and Services 14,033 15,054 0 6,500 6,500 Bureau Expenditures Total 14,033 15,054 0 1,026,697 1,026,697 Requirements Total 14,033 15,054 0 1,026,697 1,026,697 FTE 0.00 0.00 0.00 6.00 6.00 8 City of Portland | FY2025-26 Requested Budget

Office of the City Auditor Office of the City Auditor Elections Office Program Description & Goals Beginning in FY 2024-25, staff fulfilling Charter- and Code-required elections work within the Auditor’s Operations Management division will become a stand-alone Elections division. The newly created Elections division will fulfill a greater mandate required by the City’s new form of government, expanded City Council, and use of ranked-choice voting passed by voters in 2022 (Measure 26-228). The Elections division provides a broad range of regulatory oversight and public services. Primary functions of the division are certification and qualification to the ballot for candidates, measures, and petitions; administration of the lobbyist and political consultant regulations and reports; oversight of the City’s Charter-mandated campaign finance limits and disclaimer laws; and equitable public education and training for voters and candidates. Official results are certified by the division to City Council after each General Election. Equity Impacts The Elections division is focused on a number of equity initiatives, guided by its Results-Based Accountability plan, as well as applying an equity lens to its everyday services to the public. In FY 2024-25 the division will implement a first-in-the-nation fee waiver for low-income candidates, provide accessible candidate learning sessions in each district, and develop a mapping tool to support a data-driven approach to equitable voter education for the City and its partners. The tool will provide precinct-level election data sortable by race, education level, income, and other demographic categories and will help guide efforts by the City and community partners to address inequities in voting rates. A requested decision package for the Elections division includes funds for staff and community expertise to implement newly required voter education services. Voter education will center hard-to-reach and underrepresented Portlanders. It will include a “train the trainer” series as well as proactive and collaborative outreach across the Portland. In FY 2024-25 the division also expects to launch a pilot internship program to introduce undergraduate students with ties to underrepresented communities to the work of elections, expand outreach and education services with prudent use of public resources, and diversify the pipeline of those interested in local elections careers. City of Portland | FY2025-26 Requested Budget 9

Office of the City Auditor Office of the City Auditor Changes to Program The Elections division is newly formed in FY 2024-25 and includes 3.0 existing permanent FTE and will add 3.0 additional permanent FTE to support expanded elections administration, regulatory, and voter education responsibilities, per the requested decision package. The division will conduct research and program evaluation, and collect public feedback to inform service delivery. Program Budget Requested Requested Actuals Actuals Revised No DP Total FY 2022-23 FY2023-24 FY 2024-25 2025-26 2025-26 Requirements Bureau Expenditures Personnel Services 0 0 885,571 932,086 932,086 External Materials and Services 0 2,270 513,186 400,686 400,686 Internal Materials and Services 0 0 37,501 104,192 104,192 Bureau Expenditures Total 0 2,270 1,436,258 1,436,964 1,436,964 Requirements Total 0 2,270 1,436,258 1,436,964 1,436,964 FTE 0.00 4.00 4.00 5.00 5.00 10 City of Portland | FY2025-26 Requested Budget

Office of the City Auditor Office of the City Auditor Hearings Office Program Description & Goals Pursuant to City Code, City Council delegates its quasi-judicial authority in the Charter by the establishment of a centralized Hearings Office. The Hearings Office conducts impartial hearings and renders decisions on land use, Code enforcement, and appeals of the City’s actions, including vehicle tows and other administrative matters. The Hearings Office is located within the Auditor’s Office and acts under the Auditor’s independent authority with the consent of the Auditor. The placement of the Hearings Office within the Auditor’s Office reinforces its impartiality and adds value for both the public and the City through increased transparency and accountability. Equity Impacts At its most fundamental, decisions the City makes should be grounded in transparency and accountability. The demystification of the decision-making process increases the legitimacy of the City as a government institution and builds trust with systemically-excluded communities. A variety of initiatives also promote equity and accessibility of the Office’s services. The Hearings Office does not charge the public any fees and seeks to remove barriers to meaningful participation wherever possible. These efforts include the remote hearing participation option. Likewise, the utilization of a fully electronic case management system allows parties to request a hearing, upload evidence, and view the file’s contents remotely with an internet connection at any time even when the City is closed for business. Other Office initiatives include using plain language to communicate decisions to participants and offering paid internships to young people through the SummerWorks program. Changes to Program Effective July 1, 2020, the former City Auditor withdrew consent to continue providing support to the Hearings Office due to inadequate and inappropriate funding. Effective July 1, 2024, the current City Auditor agreed to take back the Hearings Office as part of the City’s transition to a new form of government after City Council ensured an adequate budget to fulfill the Office’s essential duties. Program Budget Requested Requested Actuals Actuals Revised No DP Total FY 2022-23 FY2023-24 FY 2024-25 2025-26 2025-26 Requirements Bureau Expenditures Personnel Services 592,670 695,599 619,642 799,372 799,372 External Materials and Services 45,841 82,187 174,008 126,003 126,003 Internal Materials and Services 245,897 223,155 236,710 10,837 10,837 City of Portland | FY2025-26 Requested Budget 11

Office of the City Auditor Office of the City Auditor Program Budget Requested Requested Actuals Actuals Revised No DP Total FY 2022-23 FY2023-24 FY 2024-25 2025-26 2025-26 Bureau Expenditures Total 884,407 1,000,942 1,030,360 936,212 936,212 Requirements Total 884,407 1,000,942 1,030,360 936,212 936,212 FTE 4.00 4.00 4.00 4.00 4.00 12 City of Portland | FY2025-26 Requested Budget

Office of the City Auditor Office of the City Auditor Ombudsman's Office Program Description & Goals The Ombudsman’s Office is an independent advocate for a fair, equitable, and just City government. In response to complaints from the public, businesses and City employees, the Ombudsman conducts impartial investigations and resolves problems informally. If a complaint is substantiated, the Ombudsman will advocate for a fair and equitable solution, including improvements to policies or procedures where relevant. The Ombudsman also conducts investigations into systemic problems. Equity Impacts The Ombudsman does not have the staffing capacity to investigate every complaint received, and we use our priorities to guide decisions about which cases to investigate. These priorities include assessing whether the complaint involves inequitable impacts on the complainant or other community members. The Ombudsman also builds equity into recommendations to bureaus. The Ombudsman tracks voluntary demographic information from complainants, including race/ethnicity, age, gender, and disability, and analyzes this data annually to assess service equity and identify opportunities for outreach. The Ombudsman continues its efforts to conduct data-driven systemic reviews that assess the equity-related impacts of specific City programs and practices. The Ombudsman issued several public reports in 2024 that called on the City to address issues having inequitable impacts, such as the Water Bureau’s practice of charging returned payment fees, and the predatory towing of vehicles from a cluster of low-income apartment complexes inhabited mostly by Latino community members. Changes to Program The Ombudsman fielded a higher number of jurisdictional complaints about the City in 2024, when it received about 470 complaints compared to 390 in 2023. Program Budget Requested Requested Actuals Actuals Revised No DP Total FY 2022-23 FY2023-24 FY 2024-25 2025-26 2025-26 Requirements Bureau Expenditures Personnel Services 523,118 531,661 527,888 587,138 587,138 External Materials and Services 15,919 32,174 77,330 53,580 53,580 Internal Materials and Services 12,263 15,542 2,340 6,750 6,750 Bureau Expenditures Total 551,300 579,377 607,558 647,468 647,468 Requirements Total 551,300 579,377 607,558 647,468 647,468 FTE 3.00 3.00 3.00 3.00 3.00 City of Portland | FY2025-26 Requested Budget 13

Office of the City Auditor Office of the City Auditor Operations Management Program Description & Goals The City’s FY 2025-26 Requested Budget includes $993,051 in ongoing General Fund resources to fund 1.0 City Administrator position, 1.0 Administrator Specialist III, and resources for internal and external material services. A City Administrator is an official appointed as the administrative manager of the City’s new Mayor-Council form of government. The roles and responsibilities of the new City Administrator are defined in section 2-406 of the City’s Charter and include advancing the City’s core values of anti-racism, equity, transparency, communication, collaboration, and fiscal responsibility; advancing the City’s efforts to mitigate the human-made climate crisis and prioritize environmental justice initiatives; the proper and efficient administration of all City affairs; and always keeping the Council fully advised as to the financial condition and needs of the City. Equity Impacts The Office of the City Administrator is supported by the City Attorney, the Sustainability Officer, the Equity Officer, and the Assistant City Administrator. The City Administrator Service Area also includes Central Communications, Community & Civic Life, the Office of Government Relations, and Portland Solutions. Together, the City Administrator’s Office is responsible for leading and coordinating operations across the city to improve the delivery of internal and external services, developing and implementing a shared Citywide vision and priorities, and continuing to grow a shared culture across the organization. Changes to Program The FY 2025-26 Requested Budget includes a $74,846 reduction to the Office of the City Administrator’s budget. This reduction significantly reduces the Office’s external material service budget to minimal levels. Program Budget Requested Requested Actuals Actuals Revised No DP Total FY 2022-23 FY2023-24 FY 2024-25 2025-26 2025-26 Requirements Bureau Expenditures Personnel Services 2,418,395 3,039,401 3,154,444 2,125,790 2,125,790 External Materials and Services 292,937 234,293 554,570 399,204 434,204 Internal Materials and Services 913,798 976,555 1,101,886 1,247,391 1,247,391 Bureau Expenditures Total 3,625,130 4,250,248 4,810,900 3,772,385 3,807,385 Requirements Total 3,625,130 4,250,248 4,810,900 3,772,385 3,807,385 FTE 17.00 14.00 16.00 10.00 10.00 14 City of Portland | FY2025-26 Requested Budget

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