This week Council will decide whether it wants to have the tools necessary to really know how well its administration is doing.

A short history may be useful here. Last summer the Transition Board first suggested that the Auditor report only to the City Manager. In its final recommendation, and after some protest, it proposed that the Auditor report to both Council and the City Manager. In January, Council tasked its Audit Committee with the job of studying the issue and recommending what the reporting relationship ought to be. Staff did move towards providing more independence for the Auditor. First, the Auditor will now be hired (and fired) by Council. Secondly, the Auditor's annual budget will be decided by Council - it has been removed from the City Manager's budget envelope. Nonetheless, full reporting independence was lost at Committee on a tie vote. Committee subsequently decided to recommend a compromise dual reporting relationship.

Senior staff have been so concerned about the suggestion of an independent Auditor that every Councillor has been visited by the Auditor! This extraordinary internal lobbying effort has focussed on convincing Councillors that clear lines of responsibility are not necessary and that a 'healthier working relationship' and better 'cooperation' will result with the City Manager involved in the control loop. Contrary with what appears to be the most significant knock on the notion, an auditor reporting to elected officials works elsewhere. Major cities across North America have auditors which report to elected councils - Montreal, Toronto, Edmonton, San Jose, Seattle .... It does not inevitably lead to a disfunctional administration. Rather, it will ensure, not only that public dollars are properly spent (i.e. to prevent fraud), but that the public's dollars are spent wisely, according to best practices.

The new City will have a $ 2 billion budget. It is my view that the public and its elected representatives deserve independent information if we are to derive the expected cost savings from the amalgamation turmoil. If something should go awry, is it really acceptable that Council respond by pleading that 'it did not know'? Of course, Council should know. Council should give itself every chance of knowing and avoid structuring its administration so that this becomes difficult or uncertain.

Jacques Legendre
Councillor