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Editorial: Don’t revive auditor position

If there were any doubts that the position of auditor general of local government was doomed, they have been removed. The provincial government should not try to revive this office — its chances of achieving anything useful are slim.

If there were any doubts that the position of auditor general of local government was doomed, they have been removed. The provincial government should not try to revive this office — its chances of achieving anything useful are slim.

The firing of municipal auditor general Basia Ruta on Monday was no surprise — it would be difficult to imagine any way she could continue to function.

Appointing a competent person as a watchdog of municipal finances is a reasonable concept. Municipalities spend huge amounts of money; it would be a service to taxpayers and municipalities themselves to ensure the best value possible for those expenditures.

But this idea died aborning, crippled by fuzzy legislation, poor execution, lack of oversight and internal problems in the auditor’s office. The office that was supposed to ensure public money was wisely used has spent more than $5 million in two years with little to show, and it promises to cost us more before this dreary show closes.

When campaigning for the B.C. Liberal leadership, Christy Clark promised to give close scrutiny to municipal finances with the idea of limiting the property-tax burden for B.C. families. Ruta, a chartered accountant who had worked in various federal government offices, was appointed to the new position in November 2012.

She began work in January 2013, announcing in May 2013 that she would produce 18 reports by March 31, 2014. It was revealed by the NDP in the legislature’s question period three weeks ago that Ruta’s office had produced one report in two years. Since then, two more reports have been filed.

Gaps can be expected between what was promised and what is delivered, especially for a new agency that basically had to design itself. But this discrepancy wasn’t a mere gap, it was a huge gulf.

NDP critic Selena Robinson and her colleagues were right to grill the government, but it’s unfortunate the Opposition had to bring the issue into the public spotlight. That indicates the government was asleep at the switch or was trying to cover up an embarrassing situation.

It seems to be a bit of both. Community Minister Coralee Oakes admitted in the legislature Monday that the council that oversees the municipal auditor general had been trying since December to review Ruta’s performance and had lost confidence in Ruta as a leader. The council then wrote the government for help.

Ruta has not been helpful. She blocked efforts to audit her office and questioned the integrity of the widely respected civil servant appointed to investigate. She called the investigation unlawful.

Oakes announced this week that Ruta had created an intolerable situation and was fired with cause, meaning she would not be paid out for the remaining three years of her $200,000-a-year contract. Ruta says she will challenge her dismissal in court.

More hassles, more tax dollars to be wasted, and yet Oakes continues to defend the municipal-auditor-general concept, and the audit council will recommend an interim replacement. But the process is so badly tainted, it has become unworkable, regardless of any original merit.

Ruta’s successor would not be starting from scratch, but from a position handicapped by the fumbling and bungling that has gone on before.

As we wrote last week, if a municipal auditor is needed, assign that responsibility to the provincial auditor general, where competence, expertise, integrity and lines of authority are not in question.

Hiring extra staff for auditor general Carol Bellringer’s office would be a wiser use of funds than trying to refloat something that has little chance of becoming seaworthy.