The County Auditor established the Good Government Hotline to provide County employees and the public with a method for reporting:
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Suspected fraud, waste, and abuse of position.
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Issues where an employee’s conduct broadly affects the integrity, efficiency, or effectiveness of County government.
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Retaliation that appears to be based on a report submitted to the hotline.
Fraud is defined as the intentional misappropriation of County assets including, but not limited to theft, embezzlement, or misrepresentation. Fraud can be internal or external, perpetrated by contractors or vendors, as well as by County agencies and/or employees.
Examples of fraud:
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Theft of client or County property or assets.
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Theft of cash, or other funds, including funds intended for service recipients or those in County jail facilities.
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Theft or unauthorized removal of County records or property or the property of others.
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Falsification of records such as travel and other expense vouchers.
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Theft of County equipment.
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Manipulation of financial statements or records.
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Creating and paying a fictitious employee.
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Other theft of County resources.
Waste is defined as needless, careless, or extravagant expenditure of County funds, incurring of unnecessary expenses, or gross mismanagement of County resources or property.
Examples of waste:
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Purchase of unneeded supplies or equipment.
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Purchase of goods at inflated prices.
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Gross mismanagement of County resources or property.
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Failure to reuse or recycle major resources or reduce waste generation.
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Other careless, needless, or extravagant expenditures.
Abuse of position is defined as use of position with the County to obtain personal gain or benefit for the employee or for someone else, such as a friend or family member.
Examples of abuse of position:
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Outside employment that conflicts with County position.
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Using influence of position to gain County business for self, friend, or family member.
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Personal use of County goods or services.
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Obtaining a benefit or service from the County for which an employee does not qualify.
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Providing a benefit or service to someone for which they do not qualify.
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Unauthorized reduction of fines or fees.
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Soliciting or accepting a bribe or kickback.
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Other use of County position to obtain personal gain or benefit.
Apart from fraud, waste, and abuse of position, the Auditor’s Office wants to know about situations where an employee’s conduct broadly affects the integrity, efficiency, or effectiveness of County government.
The Auditor’s Office will investigate reports of retaliation that appear directly related to a Hotline tip.
