The Chicago Office of the Inspector General is asking the public to chime in on which city operations it should dig into in the new year. It\u2019s a turning-point year for the office, as current IG Deborah Witzburg plans to leave her post in April and as scrutiny of Mayor Brandon Johnson and the City Council amps up even further ahead of the 2027 municipal elections.<\/p>\n
The OIG publishes draft auditing plans each fall and asks for public input. The final annual plan helps guide the office over the course of the year. This year\u2019s draft annual plan includes 60 potential projects \u201cdesigned to help the City maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of programs and processes\u201d for the public to comment on at igchicago.org\/survey<\/a>.<\/p>\n They range from how the city manages its cash and street sweeping schedule to whether the city\u2019s blue cart recycling program has improved and how water officials handle stormwater.<\/p>\n But the plan also includes several potentially politically thorny areas for audit.<\/p>\n Among this year\u2019s potential list is a follow-up to efforts to curb aldermanic prerogative \u2014 or say-so \u2014 in housing decisions by examining how aldermen run their local zoning advisory councils. The office could also look into whether city departments changed operations to address the city\u2019s \u201cdeference to\u201d aldermen when making zoning decisions, which \u201craised serious concerns\u201d with federal authorities about the city\u2019s compliance with civil rights laws.<\/p>\n The mayor\u2019s lobbying operations are also on the project list. There is \u201clittle information about the day-to-day operations\u201d of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, whose employees work to push the mayor\u2019s agenda forward with local, state and federal officials, the draft plan noted. The project would dig into its function and authority.<\/p>\n A similar project would look into the more than 100 boards and commissions the mayor appoints members to. \u201cLimited transparency creates concerns around conflicts of interest,\u201d the draft said. \u201cThis project would provide transparency into the functions \u2026 qualify their use of taxpayer dollars and city resources, and evaluate their compliance with relevant regulations.\u201d<\/p>\n The OIG could also look into whether the Chicago Fire Department has enough ambulances and emergency medical personnel to meet the city\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n A separate public safety section within the OIG audits the city\u2019s Police Department. There are 30 potential projects on its 2026 outlook, ranging from CPD\u2019s handling of hit-and-run crashes and sexual assault investigations to officer wellness and substance abuse.<\/p>\n