City Auditor

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Vision

To be an agent of positive change that encourages fiscal integrity and increased assurance that public resources are used in a responsible manner.

Mission

The mission of the City Auditor is to serve the public interest by providing independent assessments that promote accountability, transparency, and excellence in governance within the programs, operations, and management of the government of the City of Brownsville.

To achieve this mission, we conduct independent and objective audits, investigations, and other reviews to evaluate the economy, efficiency, and effectiveness of government activities, ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, and to prevent, detect, and deter fraud, waste, abuse, and misconduct in the expenditure of public funds.

What We Do

We collaborate with elected officials and employees to elevate public trust in government by providing objective assurance, investigation, and advisory services. The goal is to assist management in identifying ways to enhance governmental processes and prevent program abuses. This is accomplished by conducting our work in an impartial, objective, and unbiased manner and in providing recommendations designed to bring to the attention of management opportunities for strengthening internal control and improving operating efficiency.

We conduct audits of the city’s programs and departments and other entities which receive government funding. We also perform inspections and evaluations, reviews, and other analyses, surveys, and studies.

For a copy of the City of Brownsville's BPUB Tenaska Project  - Forensic Report Executive Summary, click here.

For a copy of the City of Brownsville's BPUB Tenaska Project  - Forensic Examination Report, click here: here.


REPORT IMPROPER ACTIVITIES

Insist on Integrity in Government. YOU can make a difference by REPORTING suspected wrongdoing. If you know of fraud, waste, abuse, or mismanagement of government resources, employee misconduct, or corruption by those doing business with the City of Brownsville, we encourage you to contact us directly at (956) 548-6102 or complete and submit an online form here. a 

We accept tips about potential improper activity from all sources. Please include as much detail as possible to allow us to properly follow-up. If you would like to include supporting documentation, you may submit your information by mail.

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All reports are confidential.

  • FRAUD - involves obtaining something of value through willful misrepresentation. b 
  • WASTE - mismanagement, inappropriate actions and/or inadequate safeguarding of resources.
  • ABUSE - the intentional misuse or improper use of government resources.

a City employees are afforded whistleblower protection under Texas law, which prohibits suspending or terminating their employment, or taking other adverse personnel action, if a public employee in good faith reports a violation of law by a governmental entity or another public employee (Texas Statutes, Title 5A, §554).

b United States Government Accountability Office (GAO), Government Auditing Standards, 2018 Revision

What Should be Reported?

Most complaints fall into the following categories:

  • Contract, procurement, and grant fraud
  • Environment, health, and safety violations
  • Computer crimes
  • Bribery, kickbacks, and gratuities
  • Conflicts of interest and ethics violations
  • Crime and gross misconduct involving employees/contractors.
  • Theft and/or abuse of government property
  • Travel fraud
  • False statements and false claims
  • Extravagant or needless expenditures
  • Other violations of federal or state law, rule, or regulation

Do I Need to Identify Myself?

No, you do not need to identify yourself. All complaints submitted are treated confidentially. You may provide your complaint anonymously. However, persons who report allegations of wrongdoing are encouraged to identify themselves in the event additional questions arise as this office evaluates the complaint.

What Should I Include in My Complaint?

To the best of your ability, provide the following information:

  • Type of complaint (for example, contractor fraud, bribery, violation of law, etc.)
  • The program or department affected
  • Names of individuals involved
  • Specific dates and times, if known
  • How are you aware of the alleged wrongdoing?
  • Do you know of any potential witnesses to the activity?
  • Have you or somebody else already reported this? If so, to Whom?
  • Documents or physical evidence in your possession (You may attach samples to your complaint but please do not send Original Documents – items submitted will not be returned to you)

What Happens After I File My Complaint?

An investigator will review your complaint for relevance and completeness. We may open an investigation or audit or refer the matter to another agency. Not all complaints result in an investigation. If you have identified yourself, a reviewing official may contact you for further information.

We are not authorized to disclose any information on records in our possession and we will not be able to confirm receipt of your complaint or respond to any inquiries about action taken on your complaint.