GAO draft mission statement

Draft (updated 2/23/06, 08:40 hrs.)


Pierce County Accountability Office (proposed)


Mission Statement:

The Office is designed act independently and helps the County Council determine how well the executive branch agencies are doing their jobs. The Office will routinely answer such basic questions as whether the county programs are meeting their objectives or providing good service to the public. The Accountability Office main mission is to make sure the people of the county are getting good service.

The Office will also provide the Council the best information available so they might arrive at the best policy decisions and that all the information they are using is timely, accurate and balanced.

The Director of the office will be recruited and hired by the County Council. The Director then shall hire the staff of the agency. Removal from the job of Director once hired would require a supermajority of the County Council. Functions of the Audit Review Committee and performance audits will merge into the new office and be superseded by its’ mission. That merger may also include the Ethics Commission’s function.

The Accountability Office will have two organizational sections. One section will be dedicated to reviewing policies, programs and auditing agency operations. The audits performed will determine if county funds are being spent efficiently, effectively and appropriately.

The second section is dedicated to investigating allegations of illegal and improper activities within the county government that involve fraud, waste or abuse. Also, this section will operate a “hotline” for the public and county employees to report activities that involve fraud, waste, abuse and conflicts of interest within the county government.