Miami-Dade voters should make office of inspector general truly independent | Opinion

Miami-Dade County voters have an opportunity to decide whether the Home Rule Charter should be amended to establish an independent Office of the Inspector General (OIG). The question appears on the Nov. 3 ballot as “County Referendum 1: Home Rule Charter Amendment Establishing Independent Inspector General” and seeks a “Yes” or “No” response.

Currently, the OIG is established by ordinance and can be abolished by a 2/3 vote of the entire County Commission. By inserting the OIG into the Home Rule Charter, voters will be giving this watchdog agency greater independence to perform its mission.

The American tradition of relying upon an inspector general’s oversight of dates to 1777, when the Continental Congress appointed an inspector general to ensure troop readiness and to account for wartime supplies. In the 1970s, Congress adopted the Inspector General Act of 1978 to provide oversight for every major civilian federal agency and root out fraud, waste and abuse. The Florida Legislature followed, adopting the Florida Inspector General Act in 1994. All the major departments of state government now have an inspector general.

In 1997, Miami-Dade County established its OIG. Unlike the Commission on Ethics and Public Trust, which was established as a charter agency, the OIG was created by ordinance adopted by the County Commission. The OIG conducts investigations, audits, inspections and reviews of county programs and contracts, and may conduct investigations into government fraud and corruption. Since 1997, the number and size of county programs and contracts has only grown. Miami-Dade is one of the largest county governments in the country, with a budget that’s larger than those of several states, and more than $5 billion worth of active contracts at any time. The people of Miami-Dade now have the opportunity to officially establish the OIG as a standing office in the Home Rule Charter.

Since its inception, Miami-Dade’s OIG has dedicated its efforts to providing residents with independent oversight of county affairs. The OIG meets the highest professional standards, as evidenced by its accreditation by the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation, the designated accrediting body for law-enforcement agencies and for offices of inspector general in Florida. Miami-Dade’s OIG initially was accredited in July 2010 and has been reaccredited in 2013, 2016 and, most recently, in June 2019.

In additional, the OIG has successfully undergone peer reviews, in 2016 and 2019, by the Association of Inspectors General (AIG), a national organization. It promotes excellence in the inspector general community by establishing and encouraging adherence to quality standards. In October 2019, an AIG Peer Review Team found that the Miami-Dade’s office met all relevant AIG Quality Standards for offices of inspector general and commended the it for its professionalism.

The OIG has consistently delivered on its mission statement to root out fraud, waste and abuse in county government. Fortunately, the OIG enjoys the support of the county’s current elected leadership. Indeed, current commissioners unanimously placed this question before the voters.

Under the current code, the OIG can be abolished by a 2/3 vote of all the members of the Commission. If voters adopt the proposed amendment, the power to abolish the OIG will rest with them, the people of Miami-Dade. By becoming a Home Rule Charter office, the Inspector General will be directly accountable to the electorate.

Felix Jimenez is Miami-Dade County’s interim inspector general. Mary T. Cagle was inspector general from 2014-2020. Christopher R. Mazzella was inspector general from 1998-2013.