Jenny Wong, City Auditor
Promoting transparency and accountability in Berkeley government.
Audit News
from the City Auditor
January 2022
An Update from the City Auditor
2021 was a challenging year for Berkeley, as the COVID-19 pandemic has had significant impacts on families, schools, businesses, and some of the most vulnerable in our community. We are lucky to be living in a city with a high vaccination rate. As someone who recently got COVID, I have been able to appreciate firsthand the detailed efforts by health care professionals, including the Public Health Officer, in working on limiting further spread. While it can be tough to be in isolation or quarantine, our efforts will benefit those around us and the greater community. I wish you all a safe and healthy New Year as we plan for 2022 and beyond.
Audit Update
My team is currently conducting an audit of the City’s financial condition, which will analyze the City’s financial well-being by studying trends, calculating ratios and comparing the results to other cities. This will be an overview of the city’s fiscal health and provide a baseline for future years’ comparisons. We are also continuing work on an audit analyzing the Police Department budget with a focus on overtime. These audits will be completed in the coming months.
2023 Budget Cycle
The City is beginning to develop the budget for Fiscal Years 2023-2024, which will reflect policies, goals and priorities set by the City Council. The public can share feedback at public hearings for the upcoming budget cycle, which will begin in the spring. Hearing dates and times are to be announced – more information can be found on the City of Berkeley’s website.
Redistricting
The City of Berkeley approved Measure W in November 2016, which established an Independent Redistricting Commission to redraw electoral district boundaries. In 2022, the Commission will review community members’ input and create the final map. The new district boundaries will be finalized by April 17th, 2022, allowing for the new map to be used in the November 2022 election. Information about the redistricting process is available in the Independent Redistricting Commission Plan. The next public hearing will be held on January 27th, where residents can provide input and engage in the redistricting process. The meeting will be held virtually; time is to be announced. You can submit a community of interest form to provide input about your community. You can also review submitted community maps that the commission will be reviewing. More information can be found on the City of Berkeley’s redistricting webpage and through the redistricting data portal.
Reimagining Public Safety
Work continues for the City to develop a new model of public safety. The Reimagining Public Safety Task Force held several meetings this past year. Past recordings and updates can be viewed on the Reimagining Public Safety website. Most recently, the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform produced a report outlining their proposed plan. Residents can share feedback on this report during upcoming public meetings based on their district and location:

January 13th: West Berkeley - Districts 1 and 2
January 20th: Downtown Civic Arts District, South Berkeley - Districts 3 and 4
January 26th: In-person (Location TBD)
February 3rd: North, UC Campus, Southeast Berkeley – Districts 5, 6, 7 and 8
All meeting times are 6pm - 8pm.
Meeting ID: 840 1648 5564
 
Additionally, Resource Development Associates recently published their recommendations for Berkeley’s Specialized Care Unit (SCU). The SCU is an alternative mental health and substance use crisis response model. Their full report can be found at this link.
AC-Transit Ward Redistricting
Every ten years a redistricting is conducted to redraw ward boundaries to ensure equal population and fair representation for AC Transit riders. AC Transit encourages you to take their survey to provide input on the new ward boundaries. Berkeley residents can learn more about the process and provide feedback by attending the Public Workshop on January 24th from 6:30-8pm (Zoom Link).
COVID-19 Information
With the Omicron variant causing an uptick in cases, COVID-19 remains a risk over the winter season. Vaccines continue to be the best protection against the virus, and the City urges all eligible residents to receive their vaccinations as soon as possible and adhere to face mask requirements. If you've tested positive or suspect you have COVID-19, stay home and isolate yourself from others. If you've been exposed to COVID-19 through close contact with someone infected and are unvaccinated or have not yet received your booster, you should also quarantine. Please review the Berkeley Health Orders page for more information.
 
Testing information, including where and when to get tested is available online. Vaccine information including location and eligibility can also be found online.
Resources For COVID-19 Information and Updates
Berkeley City Auditor | Website