THOMPSON: LACK OF FUNDING PREVENTS EQUAL EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES COMMISSION FROM DOING ITS JOB
New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. today issued an audit finding that although the Equal Employment Practices Commission (EEPC) has increased the number of its audits of City agencies, it has not met its New York City Charter mandate to audit every City agency once every four years.
"The Equal Employment Practices Commission has the important task of ensuring equal employment opportunities are in place at all City agencies," Thompson said. "However, a lack of financial support from the City has resulted in the Commission not being able to do its City Charter mandated job."
The EEPC is an independent City commission responsible for monitoring and evaluating the employment programs, practices, policies and procedures of all City agencies funded in whole or in part by the City. The aim of the EEPC is to ensure that agencies maintain an effective affirmative employment program of equal employment opportunity for protected groups (as identified in the City of
Chapter 36 of the New York City Charter mandates that the EEPC audit and evaluate every City agency at least once every four years and whenever requested by the Civil Service Commission or the Human Rights Commission. EEPC also has the authority to recommend procedures, approaches and programs to be used by all City agencies to ensure an effective program of equal employment opportunity for minorities and women; hold public and private hearings; establish advisory committees; and, publish an annual report to the Mayor and City Council on its activities.
EEPC is responsible for auditing 156 City agencies, including 59 community boards. EEPC has four commissioners, two of which are appointed by the Mayor and the other two appointed by the City Council. The Mayor and Council Speaker jointly appoint the Commission Chairperson.
Thompson's audit, which can be viewed at www.comptroller.nyc.gov , examined whether the Equal Employment Practices Commission (EEPC) met its City Charter mandate to audit the equal employment practices and procedures of each City agency at least once every four years.
Auditors found that for the most recent four-year cycle (Calendar Years 2005-2008), the EEPC had audited only 102 (65%) of the 156 agencies required to be audited by December 31, 2008. Audits for an additional 13 agencies were initiated but not completed by December 31, 2008.
The last few audits conducted by the City Comptroller cited the same concern that the EEPC is not meeting its Charter mandate. EEPC officials informed auditors that they do not have enough staff to meet the mandate. According to EEPC officials, in order to fulfill its mandate, the Commission would need eleven full-time positions, including six auditors.
The EEPC has requested funds from the Office of Management and Budget to hire additional staff to no avail. To compensate for the lack of funds, the EEPC developed a self-funded staff reorganization plan in the last quarter of Calendar Year 2006 and has been operating under this plan since April 2007. The goal of the plan was to increase the number of audits by increasing from two to four the number of lead auditors available to conduct audits. However, this reorganization plan relied upon the $97,000 budget enhancement that the EEPC received from City Council. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2007, these funds were used to hire two entry-level auditors. EEPC officials attribute the hiring of these two entry-level auditors and its staff reorganization plan to its ability to increase audit productivity.
Although EEPC requested the budget enhancement from the City Council for FYs 2008 and 2009, it did not receive the funds. In FY 2008, OMB provided the funds necessary to keep the two entry-level auditors; however, it only authorized funding to keep one entry-level position in FY 2009.
EEPC officials indicated that they would need to conduct a minimum of 40 audits a year to meet the four-year Charter mandate of auditing all 156 agencies, but without an increase in its number of full-time positions, it would not be able to meet its mandate.
Thompson made two recommendations to EEPC officials:
- Continue to request funds from the Mayor's Office for the additional staff members needed to meet the Charter mandate; and
- Ensure that agencies not audited within the last four years are the next agencies scheduled to be audited.
In their response, EEPC officials agreed with the audit's findings and recommendations.
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