Much ado about auditing

Has the deadline passed yet to submit a letter to the editor to be printed in this week’s papers?

I only ask because Jean Sweeney might need to print another apology letter toute suite.  I found out about the auditing that has been going on in Alameda because yes, there are audits happening folks.   Here’s the scoop. 

In 2004, the City of Alameda’s Finance Department put out a request for qualifications for firms to perform a business license audit and  Municipal Auditing Services (MAS) was selected.  MAS is located in the central valley and do not have offices in Alameda.  (e.g. they have no stake in this election one way or the other)  City staff has no say in which audits are performed, so there should not be any accusations of bias against businesses supporting one candidate over the other.

There are two types of audits being done, “Discovery” and “Deficiency.”  Discovery audits are done to find businesses that are operating in Alameda without a business license, this is to ensure that all businesses are treated equitably and that all businesses are operating with the correct licenses.   Discovery audits are based on database information and other tax related info.  Deficiency audits are performed to ensure that payments are made accurately, these audits are done with existing business license lists, and since the program started has generated almost $200,000 in additional revenue for the City.

To verify this information, you can contact the City Finance Office at 747-4881 and ask for a Supervising Revenue Accountant.