Mayor Ron Nirenberg is moving to restore public trust in city-funded non profits, after a high profile embezzlement scandal at Centro San Antonio last year, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
Nirenberg told City Council he is pushing four initiatives to increase responsibility and transparency among the 275 different non profit organizations which jointly receive about $115 million in San Antonio tax money each year, to perform duties as wide ranging as fighting domestic violence to redeveloping neighborhoods to encouraging economic development.
"When something happens in a non profit, whether it is city created or not, that casts a cloud over the city funded non profits who do that work day in and day out," the Mayor said.
An accountant at Centro San Antonio, the agency tasked with helping develop downtown, is accused of embezzling nearly $300,000 from the agency. Information indicates that the accountant was hired through an ad on Craig's List, and Centro officials did not perform a background check and uncover that she pleaded guilty to bank fraud.
The Mayor's proposals include requiring all non profits to sign contracts which include 'all reasonable and adequate protections of the public dollars.' The proposals also require that non profit executives undergo training on ethics and on their oversight responsibilities. They would also have to submit to city 'spot audits,' and have all of their decisions 'subject to the review and jurisdiction of the Ethics Review Board.
Nirenberg says he is also open to even tighter oversight of non profits.
"If there is a way of funding organizations to better achieve those results as a city, I think we should explore that," he said.
The new regulations 'designed to promote transparency and bolster public trust,' should come before Council some time in the next month.