Eugene city auditor’s broad oversight might extend to EWEB, LTD and garbage haulers: But the city’s lawyers dispute that it would have that power

In the December 14, 2017, issue of the Register-Guard, reporter Christian Hill writes:

The proposed Eugene city auditor’s office would have sweeping authority to examine not only the operations and spending of the city’s municipal government, but also the Eugene Water & Electric Board, the Lane Transit District and even private garbage haulers, according to a lead advocate of the measure.

That apparent expansive scope came to light over the weekend when a disagreement emerged between the city’s lawyers and City Accountability, the group that qualified the measure for the May ballot, over whether the auditor would have the authority to examine the operations of EWEB.

City lawyers claimed that the auditor would not have that power. City Accountability said the auditor would.

Bonny Bettman McCornack, a former city councilor and a leader of City Accountability, then asserted Wednesday that the auditor’s work could extend to examining other agencies, both public and private, with ties to the municipal government. …

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