Tune in to Audit Committee at 10am today. We will discuss our Performance Audit of the City’s Disaster Response, Fiscal Year 2026 Citywide Risk Assessment and Audit Work Plan, and Quarterly Fraud Hotline Report. Agenda: Watch here:

Los destaques de nuestra Auditoría de Desempeño de la Respuesta de la Ciudad Ante Desastres ya está disponible en español. Léalos aquí:

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Although the City effectively managed the immediate emergency response to the storm, City policymakers should work with the community to determine what the City’s role will be in disaster response and recovery. Staff should then update plans to meet those expectations.

We found the City’s planned response did not meet the expectations of elected officials and community members, who felt the City should do more. This gap led to groups expressing frustration for months afterward over the lack of coordinated restoration.

On January 22, 2024, a historic storm flooded homes and businesses, leading hundreds of City personnel to mobilize to address the crisis. We conducted a performance audit of the City’s response and recovery efforts, which can be found here:

Tune in to Audit Committee at 9am today to watch us present our Performance Audit of Fire-Rescue Overtime and our Performance Audit of the City’s Trash, Recycling, and Organics Collection and Handling. Watch here: Agenda:

Los destaques de nuestra Auditoría de Desempeño de Horas Extras del Departamento de Bomberos y Rescate ya está disponible en español. Léalos aquí:

Los destaques de nuestra Auditoría de Desempeño de la Recolección y Manejo de Basura, Reciclaje y Materia Orgánica de la Ciudad ya está disponible en español. Léalos aquí:

We also found that Fire-Rescue’s staffing projections underestimate attrition and vacancies, and overestimate academy graduates, leading it to request too few academies. Holding too few academies delays reaching full staffing and increases overtime.

Fire-Rescue underestimated its overtime needs, with vacancies and leave comprising an average of 83% of its overtime budget overages from FY2022 to FY2024. While Fire-Rescue has an established overtime methodology to develop its budget, it is not documented and could be refined.

Fire-Rescue uses overtime to maintain its staffing needs, but has consistently exceeded its overtime budget from FY2019 to FY2024, resulting in about $71.6 million in total overages, $31.8 million of which impacted the City’s General Fund. Report:

1. We also found that the City recycles more than many large California cities, but is not meeting its Climate Action Plan targets. Raising diversion rate requirements could help reduce landfill waste. #ClimateAction

The City charges private waste haulers fees to use City streets to operate their businesses’, but we found haulers’ fees haven’t kept pace with costs. We estimate hauler-related City costs are $29M/year while current fees only recover $14M. Report:

Para obtener más información sobre nuestro trabajo y los beneficios positivos que tiene para los residentes consulte los siguientes enlaces.

Nuestra oficina realiza auditorías de desempeño independientes y objetivas que buscan mejorar la eficiencia, la eficacia y la equidad de la Ciudad. Anualmente, evaluamos los riesgos en las operaciones municipales y seleccionamos áreas que se beneficiarían de una auditoría.

¡Queremos su opinión! ¿Qué programas y servicios de la Ciudad de San Diego cree que se beneficiarían de una evaluación independiente de desempeño? Visite para completar una breve encuesta con sus ideas antes del 16 de mayo de 2025.

For examples of the types of audits we perform and the positive benefits they have for our residents and taxpayers, as well as how we conduct our annual risk assessment and select audit topics, please see the following links:.

We perform independent & objective performance audits that seek to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and equity of City government. Each year, we conduct a comprehensive risk assessment to identify City programs and functions that would most benefit from a performance audit.

We want to hear from you! Which City of San Diego programs and services do you think would benefit from an independent audit? Visit to complete a brief survey with your ideas by May 16, 2025.

Implemented recommendations will help improve the City’s major building acquisition process, Climate Action Plan implementation, City property management, water billing accuracy, the Get It Done customer experience, pothole repairs, brush management of City-owned land, & more.