A recent investigation of City of Sacramento garbage collectors discovered wasted time and tax dollars. But, City Auditor Jorge Oseguera stopped the investigation there.
He says he had planned to audit the Public Works Department to look for wastes of time and money, but stopped to avoid any accusations of conflicts of interest.
"My brother actually works for a solid-waste hauler. And, looking into the variety of issues that might come up during a performance audit (of the Public Works Department) we thought could raise the perception that there could be a potential conflict. And, so as to avoid that perception altogether, we decided to recuse ourselves."
Oseguera says drivers in the Integrated Solid Waste Division "frequently" had extra time after their daily routes and spent it playing cards or basketball or reading.
The head of the solid waste division is Terrance Davis. He says there will be an internal investigation, but he is satisfied with staffing levels and no positions will be eliminated.
The Sacramento City Council could ask for an outside audit of the Public Works Department. It has not done so. But, Councilman Rick Jennings says the council has an obligation to ensure tax dollars are spent wisely.
"The whole thing is we want each department audited in a way so it's transparent to the people. And, so therefore, whether that's from an internal audit from our own auditor or from an external one it doesn't matter.
The city auditor's investigation noted two truck routes that ended at least three hours early almost 30-percent of the time.
Five council members responded to requests for comment. Three said they would support an outside audit. Two said they would support an outside audit if it were warranted.
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