Development Corporation Compliance Audit Ordered Released by Texas Attorney General

The Office of the Attorney General ordered the City of San Angelo to release the audit of Development Corporation contracts, which includes a number of economic development agreements. Auditors looked at compliance with contract terms for Martifer-Hirschfeld (now Hirschfeld Energy), MedHab, Glazer's Wholesale Drug and Blue Cross-Blue Shield of Texas. In total auditors examined eleven COSADC contract agreements.

Both the COSADC board and City Council chose not to share this information with the public. This blogger had to appeal to the Attorney General's office for the material's release. Here's the timeline:

January 30, 2015 - Submitted Public Information Request 
February 13 - City Requests Texas Attorney General approval to withhold information 
February 18 - Appealed to Texas Attorney General's office for document's release based on COSADC bylaws and prior publishing of documents where awardees had not met contracted obligations. 
April 23 - Texas Attorney General's Office orders information released
April 28 - City sends required information

It's been my experience that former City Attorney Lysia Bowling frequently requested to keep public information private.  I hope this pattern changes under our new City Attorney.  Consider this my contribution to keeping public information public.

Update 5-5-15:  City Council minutes refer to the audit on September 16, 2014 and February 3, 2015.  While mentioning the prospect of making the audit available to the public the city is yet to do so.