Report

The Auditor’s Office found evidence of waste and abuse when investigating tips about vehicle use and outside employment in the Transportation Bureau. We shared our findings and recommendations with the Transportation Bureau.

Published

In this article

• Tip to the Fraud Hotline
• Investigation Findings
• Our Recommendations
• Response from the Portland Bureau of Transportation

Tip to the Fraud Hotline

The Auditor’s Office operates a Fraud Hotline to receive tips about suspected fraud, waste, inefficiency, and abuse.

An October 2022 tip alleged that a Transportation manager, wasted government resources and abused their position. A second tip submitted in January 2023 raised similar concerns about the same manager.

The employee is the Executive Manager of the Public Infrastructure Team and is responsible for resolving development permitting regulatory conflicts between the transportation, environmental, parks, and water bureaus. Their role involves meeting with developers and design professionals and building relationships with permitting customers.

The tips alleged waste and abuse because the employee:

• Used a City vehicle to run errands and commute to and from work
• Worked as a high school volleyball coach during work hours
• Misused City funds to give gift cards to employees
• Acted with bias in permitting decisions which resulted in financial judgments against the City

Investigation Findings

The Auditor’s Office found evidence of waste and abuse

Waste involves the needless,...

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