City Council to Vote on Charter Amendment
July 10, 2008, New Orleans, LA. Today the New Orleans City Council is expected to vote on a proposed charter amendment to the City of New Orleans charter. The charter amendment would add the Office of the Inspector General to the city charter and would include the addition of an Independent Monitor office as a function of the Inspector General Office. If approved, the charter amendment will be placed on the 2008 Fall ballot. Adding the Inspector General Office to the city charter will give the newly installed office institutional stability in city government and establish the office as an independent entity that will not be subject to the term-limited whims of changing mayoral administrations. Additionally, an approved charter amendment will also install a Independent Monitor, whose responsibility will be to investigate fraud and abuse in law enforcement.
The IG Office will have full subpoena power to investigate any and all levels of city government. Both the IG Office and the Independent Monitor Office have strong support from the community, particularly leaders from organizations who are members of the Common Good network, which include Loyola University, the Urban League of Greater New Orleans, Citizens for One New Orleans, Puentes New Orleans, Inc., the New Orleans Business Council, and many more. Common Good, headed by Dr. Michael Cowan, has been instrumental in galvanizing civic leadership on this effort and has worked with city officials over the past two years to bring these offices to full implementation.
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