Municipal Fraud Prevention- West Linn
Part 2 of 3
The current West Linn Finance Department (after the 1.42 million dollar scandal), much like a Phoenix rising from the ashes, crafted a new mission statement. The forward moving department proclaims proudly “being good stewards of taxpayers’ monies is the Finance Department’s main focus, but that alone is not enough. We strive to develop healthy partnerships with the community; we strive to be transparent with the City finances; and we always look for cost efficiencies in all City operations.” Nowadays the city has a fraud hotline and holds regular audit committee meetings.
The moral of the story, as cliché as it may sound, is: don’t let this happen to you. Part of proper municipal management is instilling a firm and precise system of internal and external processes and controls (such as background and credential checks at the time of on-boarding employees).