Office of the Inspector General

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) provides a full-time program of audits, investigations, inspections, and reviews of City operations to provide increased accountability and oversight and to assist in improving programs and operations administered or financed by the City.

A Message from the Inspector General

During my 20+ years with the City of Tallahassee, I have seen first-hand that the vast majority of City employees are honest, conscientious, hard-working, and caring public servants. However, as with any large group over a long period of time, there have been instances where City employees have not lived up to expectations and fallen short of the City’s standards of conduct. It is my hope the audit and investigative work of the Office of Inspector General will help show the citizens of Tallahassee their city government is working to serve them efficiently and in a manner expected of public servants. To that end, I am asking you to let the Office of Inspector General know when you see or hear something in City government that doesn’t seem right or isn’t working as well as it could.

History

In 1979, the City Commission established the Office of the City Auditor as an independent internal audit function, unencumbered by operational responsibilities and reporting to the Commission. For over 40 years, the Office of the City Auditor served the citizens in that capacity.

On July 8, 2020, the City Commission adopted Ordinance 20-O-22AA, creating a City of Tallahassee Office of the Inspector General (OIG).

At the time of its adoption, the OIG ordinance did not include certain best practices related to IG independence because the Inspector General's authority, jurisdiction, and powers were limited by those given to the City Auditor in the City Charter and the role of the City Auditor could not be altered without changes to the City Charter.

In October 2023, the City Commission established a charter review committee (CRC) to review and submit recommendations on specific sections of the City Charter. The CRC conducted a series of meetings in January, February, and March 2024. At the March 27, 2024, meeting of the City Commission, the chairman of the CRC presented the committee's Final Report and Recommendations to the City Commission.

At its meeting on April 24, 2024, the City Commission voted to submit to the electors of the City of Tallahassee a proposed charter amendment to replace the Office of the City Auditor with the Office of the Inspector General in the City Charter. On June 19, 2024, the City Commission adopted Ordinance No. 24-0-25, a proposed charter amendment establishing the Office of the Inspector General in the City Charter.

On November 5, 2024, 65% of the electors of the City of Tallahassee approved the following referendum question: Shall the Charter of the City of Tallahassee be amended to define the role of the Inspector General by charter rather than by ordinance? By its terms, Ordinance No. 24-0-25, a proposed charter amendment establishing the Office of the Inspector General in the City Charter, became effective upon this approval.

On February 12, 2025, the City Commission adopted Ordinance 25-O-04, which deleted duplicative language now incorporated in the Charter, deleted references to the City Auditor, clarified the authority of the Inspector General as defined by the Charter, and clarified the role of the City's Audit Committee.

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