Chick Calls for Contracting Reform

Following audits and investigations of City Department contracting processes, City Controller Laura Chick is pushing for overall improvements in the contracting system.

In a memo to the Mayor, City Attorney and City Council, Chick cited four major areas for improvement in the City current professional/personnel services contracting process:

* The absence of authoritative contracting guidelines
* An inefficient contracting process
* Poor oversight
* Inadequate transparency

"Appearances of impropriety still exist in the contract awarding process. There are common sense steps the City must take to eliminate the perception, much less the reality, of any wrongdoing," said Chick.

In December 2003, Chick's audit of the Los Angeles Airport Department's contracting process triggered a federal grand jury corruption probe which is still ongoing.

"The process for awarding City contracts is overly cumbersome, involving as many as 15 steps and 10 different departments, agencies and offices," continues Chick (chart attached).

"My goal has always been to push the City into a new era of transparency, fairness and efficiency in how we award our billions of dollars of public contracts," said Chick.