If you’re a Miami Beach resident, the first city referendum on your ballot will say this:
Shall City Charter be amended to create the Office of Inspector General, which shall be independent and empowered to:
- investigate, audit, review, and oversee municipal matters including City contracts, programs, projects, and expenditures, in order to identify efficiencies, and detect, investigate, and prevent fraud, waste, mismanagement, misconduct, and abuse of power; and
- subpoena witnesses, administer oaths, and require production of records; provided such Office’s appointment, term, functions, and powers shall be further established by ordinance?
Essentially, this is a question of whether you think Miami Beach should have someone whose job it is to be a watchdog, paying attention to whether money is being spent properly in the city. After some recent corruption scandals, that’s feeling pretty necessary. Miami-Dade County has an Office of the Inspector General already.
The addition would cost the city as much as $1.1 million, according to the Herald, but they’re considering putting a surcharge on all city contracts to cover the costs.
If you vote yes, this office will be established, likely without costing taxpayers money.
If you vote no, the office won’t be created and departments will remain responsible for proper monitoring of their spending.