Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass appeared in federal court in downtown Los Angeles on Monday, along with Council President Paul Krekorian, to tell a judge they will agree to an audit of her Inside Safe program.
It’s part of a lawsuit by the L.A. Alliance for Human Rights, a coalition of local residents and business owner, who asked the judge to fine the city of L.A. $6.4 million for failing to clean up homeless encampments. The group claimed the mayor’s program has missed deadlines and goals when it comes to handling the encampments.
KNX News Craig Fiegner reported that during the hearing, Judge David Carter picked at the way that the city has been spending money to fix homelessness. One example was invoices that the city has paid, noting that the invoices are not detailed and don't show what the city has been getting for the money that has been spent.
On Friday, Mayor Bass told KNX News’ Craig Fiegener she welcomes the audit and that the city would pay for it.
“We have tried to from the very beginning, be transparent,” she said. “We've delivered almost 200 pages of documentation to the council. So I think it's always good to evaluate and audit your work and that's what we'll be doing.
Judge Carter initially requested the independent audit for transparency, but during Monday's hearing, he stopped short of demanding one immediately.
Instead, thanks to a pledge made during the hearing by Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kellum, Chief Executive of LAHSA, the judge is requesting all invoices related to the program be released to the public.
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Mayor Bass said, "The city, in the next couple of weeks, will put out to the public how money has been spent on invoices that we've received and what has been the result of those invoices."
Carter says the invoices when made public should prove exactly what's been paid by the city and county and what the city and county have received.
He says the invoices should clear up the allegations.
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