Lead Service Line Replacement Program Audit

It looks like the city’s Internal Audit Manager is on a hot streak. I wrote earlier this year about her last audit involving the Regional Economic Development Initiative (REDI).  One of the findings in that audit was that REDI could not account for $14,000 in unsupported claims.

Now, in August, the auditor reported that a GCWW (Greater Cincinnati Water Works) employee “misappropriated’ the lead pipes that were scrapped in the Lead Service Line Replacement Program, “for personal gain.”

The only thing we know for sure is that the “in-house lead crew,” was “dismantled and disciplined.” The report does not indicate how many employees were involved, how long the scheme continued, how it was detected, an estimate of the “misappropriation,” whether the matter was referred to law enforcement, etc.

The members of the “in-house lead crew” refused to be interviewed!

Unfortunately, the Internal Audit Manager’s audits and reports are not hard-hitting.  They tend to lack a lot of important details about the story.  As a result, the reports, knowingly or unknowingly,  contribute to what seems to be the city manager’s interest in keeping a lid on problems. That is the exact opposite of what the city manager should be doing. She should be ferreting out the problems in the city’s operations, not downplaying them to the public. In this case as well as the REDI case, the audit reports are just scratching the surface.

In November 2023, the city “restructured” our police districts. District 5 was eliminated. The Cincinnati Police Department had been operating out of  5 Districts for 150 years.  Mayor  Purveal and the current city council (currently up for reelection) decided that they did not want to invest $20 million in a new HQ for District 5, which had been in the works for 7 years, so they came up with a “restructuring plan” for the police. The effective date of District 5’s elimination was November 12, 2023.

On 8.14.25, I submitted a public records request for any evaluation of the restructuring.  On 8.18.25, I receved a response. Two powerpoint slide decks were provided as responsive documents. One was the 2024 “Year in Review,” for the police and the other was “Change in Response Times, Redistricting 90 Day Comparison.”

One unusual thing about the city’s responsive documents is that the “Comparison” slide deck is dated 8.18.25, which is after my public records request. So, it looks like they did do an analysis but never issued it publicly. What does that tell you?

The slide deck does its best to confuse the issue, but the fact is that a proper evaluation of the restructuring involves more than an analysis of response times. A lot more.

In episode 28 of “Citizen Watchdog with Todd Zinser,” I discuss how the elimination of District 5 is a prime example of how this mayor, this city council, and this city manager are disinvesting in public safety.

Cincinnati_Police_Department_-_Year_End_2024_Review (1)

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Yahoo Mail – Follow up to public comments on 9.17.25 re District 5