The Metro Auditor released an audit today that followed up on the 2008 audit, Transit-Oriented Development Program: Improve Transparency and Oversight. Metro’s Transit-Oriented Development Program provides incentives to developers to build mixed-use, higher density projects near public transit. It was transferred from TriMet to Metro in 1996. The purpose of this audit was to determine if Metro had implemented the twelve recommendations.
The objective of the 2008 audit was to determine if the Program had processes in place to ensure transparency and accountability. It addressed four underlying issues:
- whether the program had adequate oversight over its use of public funds
- whether the Program had an effective and transparent process for choosing projects
- whether the Program had adequate processes to monitor projects
- whether the Program had procedures to adequately administer and account for the use of funds.
The follow-up audit found the TOD Program implemented three of the twelve recommendations.
“The TOD Program is no longer a new program at Metro. We understand that it operates in a market environment and needs to be flexible,” Metro Auditor Suzanne Flynn said, “but in order to improve accountability and transparency, it should better establish formal and consistent procedures. Further, the program could benefit from an on-going review of past projects and improve decision-making in the future.”
The audit noted that of the twelve recommendations, six were in process and three were not implemented. The Program was in the middle of a strategic planning process that included work elements related to four of the six recommendations in process.