Government transparency is our best weapon against waste and corruption, especially at the local level. That’s what makes the work of local inspectors general and the state legislative auditor so important.
Jefferson Parish Inspector General Kim Chatelain just released her office’s annual assessment of parish government. Chatelain identified five agencies at high risk of misconduct.
Those agencies include:
- East Bank Consolidated Fire Department
- Parish personnel department
- Parish purchasing department
- Parish building permits department
- Parish recreation department
She plans to audit those whose operations are subject to her review.
This is how local government watchdogs are designed to operate. The New Orleans IG and the legislative auditor likewise let us know which agencies perform at a high level and which ones don’t.
But remember: None of that matters unless we speak out when the watchdogs tell us something’s wrong.
*Clancy DuBos is a WWL Louisiana political analyst and Gambit columnist