Len is a guest blogger at Zennie62.com. He is running for Oakland City Auditor.
A 9 year old boy asked me what the Oakland City Auditor does?
Last Friday evening a 9 year boy at Bites on Bway in Temescal asked me for a Len for Auditor balloon after he confirmed the balloon was free.
He thanked me for the balloon and then asked the same question that every person I talk to asks: What does the Auditor do?
I told him that the Auditor makes sure that the City of Oakland’s money is spent wisely and not wasted.
He thought a second and then clear as a bell declared “That’s a very important job.”
He left and I looked over at a woman sitting nearby on a bench. She looked at me and we both laughed when I said “Why wasn’t someone recording that on their cellphone.”
Only 5 forums invited us two auditor candidates. Only one of those was recorded. Camera crews apparently were told not to bother with auditor race.
With that young boy I didn’t get into the fine but crucial point that the City Auditor doesn’t actually perform any audits. Most people picture one person wearing green eyeshades auditing away. They wouldn’t know that the Auditor (correct grammar is lowercase A) hires an Asst. Auditor who runs the audit jobs and supervises a staff of 6 staff auditors who do the actual audit work.
The City Auditor selects the audit targets, evaluates the findings, and communicates the results to the City Council and the City Administrator, who often ignore them.
I run into overtime when I explain that the other parts of the job include writing opinions of fiscal impact of ballot measures, and the independent budget analyst function.
