City Auditor
Auditor Alleges City Supervisor’s Misconduct
Auditor Alleges City Supervisor’s Misconduct
Disciplinary action hangs fire while department
director and human resources confer and decide
by Ken Martin
Additional Research by Mark Henricks
© The Austin Bulldog 2015
Posted Tuesday December 15, 2015 3:18pm
Updated Wednesday December 16, 2015 9:50am (to correct last name of Rodney Gonzales)
Updated Wednesday December 16, 2015 1:18pm (to clarify auditor interaction with Ethics Review Commission)
The report of an investigation released by the Austin City Auditor in October 2015 found evidence that Eric Leal Gomez, an environmental compliance supervisor in the Development Services Department, allegedly misused his position, misused city resources, and inappropriately entered into a business relationship with a subordinate. The report provided details for the three findings.
Gomez addressed these findings in a 10-page e-mail addressed to department management September 23, 2015. Gomez conceded that he misused his city computer and Internet access in connection with efforts to establish a private business but stated the infraction had been cured and would not be a problem going forward. He argued the other two findings were inappropriate and requested they be retracted.
Nathan Wiebe, chief of investigations for in the City Auditor’s Office, said that Gomez’ responses have been considered but the findings will not be retracted.
“We allow the subject of an investigation to respond in writing,” Wiebe said. “If they present evidence that may potentially affect the findings we investigate and modify the report. In cases where they have presented their side of the story but the response hasn’t changed anything, then the report goes out. In this case, he requested redaction of two findings but what you see in the final report—that’s our response.”
The auditor’s investigation of Gomez was conducted in response to an anonymous complaint, Wiebe said.
While the complaint was anonymously filed with the auditor, Gomez said, “The problem was she started bragging about turning me into the auditor, resulting in this investigation.” He named a former employee that he said he had once pursued disciplinary action against the woman for allegedly falsifying timesheets.
Still, it would be up to the auditor to investigate, substantiate the allegations, and bear the burden of proof. An investigation published by the previous auditor was discredited, the City Council issued a formal apology to the accused, and a lawsuit is pending to get the documentation that supported that flawed report.
Disciplinary action pending
Light Turnout for City Auditor’s Meetings
Light Turnout for City Auditor’s Meetings
Five scheduled meetings drew fewer than ninety
people, but keen interest shown among attendees
by Ken Martin
© The Austin Bulldog 2012
Posted Tuesday January 29, 2013 3:47pm
Correction posted 4:29pm Tuesday, January 29, 2013
City Auditor Ken Mory and his staff are doing their utmost to reach out to the public and provide information that would encourage Austin voters to apply to serve on one of the two bodies that will shape Austin’s future for decades to come.
The action is a result of voter approval November 6 of Proposition 3, which orders the implementation of 10 geographic council districts from which Austin City Council members will be elected in November 2014. Another charter amendment approved by voters dictates that council elections will be held in November of even-numbered years, council members will serve four-year terms (instead of three years), and will be limited to two terms (instead of three). Incumbents can run in spite of term limits if they gather signatures of 5 percent of registered voters to gain access to the ballot.
The auditor hosted five application public information meetings over an eight-day period starting Saturday January 19 and ending Saturday January 26. A total of about 87 people attended those meetings. About 14 of those were Bowie High School students who attended the January 24 meeting at Gorzycki Middle School as part of a government class. So at most the meetings drew about 73 people who might have been eligible to serve.
City Auditor Kicks Off Info Sessions
City Auditor Kicks Off Info Sessions
Drawing maps for 10 City Council districts
attracts citizens who want to get involved
by Ken Martin
© 2012 The Austin Bulldog
Posted January 22, 2013 2:33pm
The historic opportunity to draw districts from which 10 Austin City Council members will be elected in November 2014 was enough to draw a Saturday morning crowd to the Carver Branch Library. The end result will be to change the election of council members from and all-at-large system that has existed since 1953 to elect council members from geographic districts.
Some 30 people interested in learning more about opportunities to serve on the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (ICRC) or Applicant Review Panel attended City Auditor Ken Mory’s first public application information session. Four more such meetings are scheduled for this week (see schedule below).
Information supplied by Opinion Analysts Inc. indicates that 35,418 people meet the minimum requirements to serve on the ICRC by having been registered to vote for five years and having voted in three of the last five May elections. (That number will be reduced somewhat once conflicts of interest that bar service are taken into account.) The City Auditor’s office will mail two invitations to apply to serve on the ICRC to each of these.
Proposed Districting Timeline Draws Flak
- Proposed Districting Timeline Draws Flak
- Redistricting expert says schedule does not
- allow enough time for federal approval process
- by Ken Martin
- © The Austin Bulldog 2012
- Posted Tuesday, December 4, 2012 3:37pm
City Auditor Ken Mory and his chief of investigations, Jason Hadavi, briefed the Austin City Council in this morning’s work session, including proposed dates for accomplishing major tasks related to establishing 10 council districts, as approved by voters November 6. (The core of the briefing is contained in the City Auditor’s Slides for City Council Briefing.)
The briefing took place in advance of tonight’s related public forum that starts 7pm in One Texas Center, 505 Barton Springs Road, Room 325. (To see a map, click here.) The purpose of the forum is to encourage participation in the Citizens Independent Redistricting Commission (CIRC) and secure a large and diverse pool of qualified applicants.
The schedule proposed by the City Auditor indicates that the CIRC would adopt a final plan for the 10 geographic districts by April 1, 2014.
Attorney Steve Bickerstaff, who has represented more than a hundred jurisdictions on redistricting in his long legal career, told The Austin Bulldog that April 1, 2014, is not soon enough.
Citizens Redistricting Forum December 4
- Citizens Redistricting Forum December 4
- City auditor invites public input for citizens redistricting
- panel and how best to identify applicant qualifications
- by Ken Martin
- © The Austin Bulldog 2012
- Posted Monday, November 27, 2012 7:15pm
City Auditor Ken Mory today announced a public forum will be held to encourage participation in the Citizens Independent Redistricting Commission (CIRC) and secure a large and diverse pool of qualified applicants.
Once formed the 14-member CIRC will hire consultants, conduct public hearings, and draw 10 council districts the City Council will have no choice but to accept, subject to federal approval under the Voting Rights Act.
Peck Young is the volunteer political consultant who provided strategy for Austinites for Geographic Representation (AGR), which got Proposition 3 on the ballot through a petition drive and won voter approval.
Young said he was encouraged by the auditor’s quick action to seek public participation.
“My reaction it that’s a very good first step,” Young told The Austin Bulldog. “AGR members will be encouraged to participate. I think that’s an excellent approach on Mory’s part.”
Elections scheduled for November 2014 will be held under the new system with 10 council members elected from geographic districts and only the mayor elected at large.
The forum starts 7pm Tuesday December 4 in One Texas Center, 505 Barton Springs Road, Room 325. (To see a map, click here.)
Overview of the process
Prop 3 Proponents to Monitor Implementation
- Prop 3 Proponents to Monitor Implementation
- Austinites for Geographic Representation form
- committee to help guide work on 10-1 system
- by Ken Martin
- © The Austin Bulldog 2012
- Posted Sunday November 25, 2012 8:56pm
Fresh off a major victory in the November 6 election, some three-dozen fired up members of Austinites for Geographic Representation (AGR) packed the meeting room at the Austin Firefighters Hall last Monday evening to map out how to stay involved during implementation of the 10-1 system for council elections.
Volunteer political consultant Peck Young, who provided the strategy for the winning campaign, roused the crowd.
“We need to remember we won a campaign. We created districts. We have changed something a half century old and changed it for the rest of this century,” he said.
But he added a note of caution.
Young said, “The work to keep this fair and honest isn't over. I promise you we have work to do so this process is not perverted or corrupted by people who never wanted this in the first place.”
“We've got at least another year of hard work to be sure it's implemented correctly.”
