Proposition L

Shall Chapter XI, Section 2 be amended and a new chapter be added to the Dallas City Charter that establishes the Office of the Inspector General with the Inspector General being appointed by city council and lists the duties of the Inspector General?

The proposed changes to Chapter XI are as follows

CHAPTER IXA. OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL

SEC. 1. CREATION OF OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL; APPOINTMENT OF INSPECTOR GENERAL.

(a) There is hereby created an office to be known as the office of the inspector general. The head of this department shall be a competent practicing attorney of recognized ability, a certified inspector general, and shall be known as the inspector general. The inspector general shall serve as an independent investigative authority regarding misconduct involving fraud, corruption, ethics, waste, and abuse. The Code of Ethics and other ordinances should include the provisions necessary to ensure independence of the office of the inspector general.

(b) The inspector general shall be a resident of the City of Dallas. If at the time of appointment, the inspector general resides outside the City of Dallas, then he or she shall move into the city within a time period required by the city council. The inspector general shall be appointed by a majority vote of all the members of the city council and shall serve for a period of two years from the date of appointment and thereafter until a successor is appointed, unless sooner discharged by the council, and the inspector general shall not be discharged during the inspector general’s term of office except upon a 2/3 vote of all members of the city council. The inspector general shall receive such compensation as shall be fixed by the council.

SEC. 2. ASSISTANTS AND EMPLOYEES OF THE OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL.

The inspector general shall have such assistants and employees as shall be provided by ordinance, and they shall receive such compensation as may be fixed by the city council. Any assistant or employee may be discharged at any time by the inspector general. The inspector general and any assistant inspector general shall devote their entire time to the service of the city. All powers and duties imposed on the inspector general may be exercised and performed by any assistant under the direction of the inspector general.

SEC. 3. DUTIES OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL.

The inspector general shall have the following powers and duties:

(1) Supervising and controlling the structure of the office of the inspector general.

(2) Initiating investigations and receiving and investigating complaints and tips regarding misconduct involving ethics, fraud, waste, abuse, and corruption of city officials, city employees, and persons doing business with the city.

(3) Examining the books, accounts, reports, vouchers, financial records, records of the city, documents, and tangible things relevant to the subject matter of an investigation regardless of their form.

(4) Submitting reports summarizing the findings of investigations and reviews completed by the inspector general.

(5) Acting, on behalf of the city, as liaison to law enforcement agencies regarding fraud and corruption investigations initiated by the office of the inspector general.

(6) Presenting ethics complaints regarding alleged or suspected violations of the city’s code of ethics before a commission created to make findings concerning the ethical nature of actions and conduct and recommending appropriate sanction.

(7) Doing all things necessary to carry out the functions set forth in this chapter.

CHAPTER XI.

THE BUDGET AND FINANCIAL PROCEDURE RELATING THERETO

SEC. 2. BUDGET ESTIMATES TO BE FURNISHED TO CITY MANAGER BY DEPARTMENTS NOT UNDER CITY MANAGER’S IMMEDIATE DIRECTION.

Every department of the city government not under the direct control of the city manager, except the city auditor and the inspector general, shall furnish to the city manager, for use in the preparation of recommendations to the council regarding the annual budget, a detailed budget estimate of the needs and requirements of such department for the coming year. The city auditor and the inspector general shall furnish a detailed budget estimate of the needs and requirements of the city auditor’s office and the inspector general’s office, respectively, for the coming year directly to the city council, to be approved by the city council, and then consolidated with the city manager’s annual budget estimate.