Vernon City Hall
(CHARLOTTE HELSTON / iNFOnews.ca)
September 01, 2015 - 11:30 AM
VERNON - B.C.’s auditor general has pulled back a curtain on the City of Vernon’s purchasing activities.
Acting auditor Arn van Iersel took a look at the city’s purchasing practices over a two-year audit period, from 2010 to 2012, and released the findings this week in a report. The performance audit reviewed whether the city achieved value for money in its operational purchasing. Vernon is one of six local governments the office set out to aduit on the topic in 2013/2014.
Overall, the audit found the city has established a number of policies, procedures and practices that improved efficiency and helped achieve value for money.
But the audit also pointed out a number of transactions that did not comply with the city’s own policies as well as inappropriate expense approvals involving the mayor and chief administrative officer of the day — both of whom left the city in 2011. The city also lacked compliance in the procurement of legal services.
The report recommends updating policies, monitoring and enforcing compliance, and improving data collection, analysis and reporting. Adopting the recommendations, van Iersel said, would generate lasting benefits for taxpayers and minimize risks to the organization.
The full report and recommendations can be found online.
To contact the reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infonews.ca or call 250-309-5230. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2015