Council debates citywide efficiency-audit ordinance; auditor warns costs unknown and recommends broader public and worker input

Councilmembers spent a substantial portion of the Feb. 3 work session focused on item A45, a proposed ordinance to authorize a multi-year, citywide comprehensive efficiency assessment of services, departments, and contractors.

The auditor’s view: Jason Haddavi, City Auditor, told the council the assessment is unprecedented and the city lacks reliable market comparables; he recommended a competitive procurement that would take four to six months and said the council could withhold funding or approve contracts only if the bids’ pricing and scope were acceptable. Haddavi said the auditor envisions hiring one consultant to ensure consistency across reviews and proposed an efficiency dashboard to publicize findings and department self-reported improvements.

Labor and transparency concerns: AFSCME Local 1624 representatives spoke in public comment urging more detail about scope, job protections, and worker consultation before the ordinance is adopted. Several councilmembers echoed that sentiment and asked that union representatives and frontline staff be given a meaningful role in the information-gathering and recommendation-review stages. Haddavi said employee input would be an expected part of any external assessment via surveys and interviews and that the consultant should incorporate frontline perspectives before producing findings.

Scope, ROI and governance: Councilmembers asked about costs and ROI, citing a Houston precedent reportedly around $500,000. Haddavi said the ultimate price will depend on procurement responses and must be approved by council if funded. The proposed ordinance includes provisions for public reporting (annual reports to the council and biannual reports to Audit & Finance), and language in the draft seeks to make the program durable (a supermajority threshold for certain changes was discussed). Councilmembers pressed to ensure the process would factor community values and avoid default privatization recommendations.

Next steps: The mayor recommended postponing a final vote to allow additional consultations, revisions, and a clearer work plan; he suggested moving post‑vote consideration to Feb. 26 to provide time for union consultation, finalization of draft language, and publication of supporting materials. No final vote was taken during the work session.

Quotes:
"This is an unprecedented type of assessment...a competitive process would take 4 to 6 months," City Auditor Jason Haddavi said.
"Many of our members are aware of systemic inefficiencies and are ready to provide innovative suggestions... Without greater clarity, we at this time cannot support this," said Bridal Summers of AFSCME Local 1624.

Ending: Council directed staff and the auditor to refine the ordinance language, incorporate worker consultation, and prepare public reporting mechanisms; councilmembers left the item pending additional review rather than voting on Feb. 5.