Metro News Release
For immediate release: April 20, 2006
Metro creates more oversight through independent inspector general
Metro’s Board of Directors today approved creating an independent inspector general. The job is similar to oversight positions in federal and state governments.
Metro’s new Office of Inspector General would replace the current Office of Audit and Inspections headed by an auditor general. The job could be filled as early as the fall.
"This is a significant step forward and shows the Board’s willingness to be more transparent," said Gladys Mack, Metro Board chair.
The inspector general would take over the same duties that the current auditor general performs, such as investigating contracts, complaints of fraud and waste and abuse. It would also scrutinize departmental activities and programs, review policies, issue recommendations and report the findings. But unlike the auditor general, who was hired and reported to the authority’s general manager, the inspector general would be selected by and report to the Metro Board. The office also could subpoena witnesses and documents. The inspector general would still have open lines of communication with the general manager.
The inspector general would have a staff of 27 auditors and serve a maximum of 15 years. The inspector general would make public reports to the Board Audit Committee periodically and submit public annual reports to the governors of Maryland and Virginia and top elected officials in the area served by Metro, Congress and the Federal Transit Administration.
The creation of the office would cost Metro an additional $314,000 in fiscal 2007, which begins in July. The estimated salary of the inspector general would be around $140,000 a year.
Three other bus and rail systems have an inspector general. In New York the position reports to the governor. In Los Angeles and Chicago, the position reports to the transit agencies’ Board of Directors. Metro consulted current and former inspector generals and local members of Congress about the proposal.
News release issued on April 20, 2006.