Dallas audit reveals $60M payroll problem

As tax bills are set to go up for Dallas homeowners this year, only FOX 4 got ahold of an audit that shows the city had inadequate oversight over tens of millions tax dollars.

One of the biggest findings in the audit was that $60 million were paid out to employees without any record of manager approval.      

Additionally, there is no record that 77 employees who received paychecks ever even worked at all.

Four high-level city employees took a lot of days off, but never recorded a single absence.

We're told two of those employees are the director and assistant director of economic development.

Auditors found that the lack of oversight means some employees could keep getting paychecks, even if they're not working.

City councilmember Philip Kingston is vice chair of budget, finance, and audit so FOX 4 asked him if he's concerned by the findings.

“We don't even know what the loss is, what the lost efficiency is,” he said. “It shows a systemic weakness in management throughout the system, in terms of ensuring employees are working when they are supposed to be working.”

A spokesperson is calling the audit routine and says there were no findings of misuse of funds.      

The city manager did file a response with the auditor and agreed with all of his recommendations.

One of them is for HR to adjust the paid leave balances for the four high-level employees who did not report time off.

The audit can be viewed here.