City attorney’s office audit underway

Eron Ben-Yehuda

HUNTINGTON BEACH -- An audit of City Atty. Gail Hutton’s office began

Wednesday.

Allegations made by department heads that her office is mismanaged

prompted the city to hire the Ohio-based firm of Management Partners

Inc., which will review all aspects of Hutton’s operations.

The cost of the audit, expected to be completed by mid-May, is not to

exceed $85,000, according to a city memo.

As part of the audit’s review process, the firm will interview City

Council members and department heads to find out their “perception” of

the quality of Hutton’s work, the memo states. The practice of farming

out part of the city’s caseload to private attorneys also will be

evaluated.

Hutton, who has held her elected office for 22 years, does not directly

answer to the council but to the voters. Hutton has said she considers

the audit, approved by the council in June, as “suggestions for

improvement.”