AUSTIN, Texas — Austin officials moved closer Thursday to hiring an outside firm to conduct an independent audit of all city departments as a citizen-led initiative seeks to require regular audits through the city charter.
Mayor Kirk Watson announced that the city has proposed partnering with Public Works LLC to conduct the audits after the Austin City Council approved an ordinance in February establishing recurring reviews of city spending.
At the same time, the group Save Austin Now is advancing a petition that would require independent audits as a permanent charter requirement. The measure is expected to appear on the November ballot.
Save Austin Now co-founder Matt Mackowiak said the group began collecting signatures in November and submitted more than 21,000 signatures. He said the city certified the petition in late June.
Mackowiak said the proposed charter amendment aims to improve transparency, increase efficiency and strengthen public confidence in city government. He said the effort followed the defeat of Proposition Q last year, which would have permanently increased property taxes.
He said voters questioned how the city manages its budget and argued that an independent audit would provide greater accountability.
“We’re just not a city that’s run efficiently. Our budget is bloated,” Mackowiak said. “We’ve got to get back to efficiently delivering city services, and we think an external audit is the only way to rebuild trust between taxpayers and city hall.”
Under the proposed charter amendment, the city would conduct a comprehensive audit within one year of the measure’s approval. It would also require audits at least once every five years and at least one year before any future tax rate election.
Mackowiak said the charter amendment would create a permanent requirement that future city councils could not easily remove.
“An ordinance can be changed at any time with just six votes on the city council dais,” he said. “Even if this mayor and council have a newfound commitment to this, the next mayor and council may not. In fact, they probably won’t.”
In a statement to KVUE, Watson said the city has already begun implementing measures consistent with the proposal by pursuing an independent audit process focused on financial stewardship and accepted auditing practices.
Watson also said the proposed charter amendment could create operational challenges for the city and described it as a political and repetitive proposal.
Mackowiak said the measure is intended to promote transparency and accountability rather than advance a political agenda. He added that he hopes the City Council adopts the proposal without requiring a public vote, although the measure is expected to appear on the November ballot.
