Chair Lee asks for examples of DOI investigations saving city money
Lee asks for examples of how DOI investigations save the city money. Shahada cites $6M in FY26 restitution collections, including $1.6M from a defendant who inflated fire alarm system invoices, and $5M in overbilling identified through the asylum seeker monitorship. Lee requests a follow-up list of examples and titles that accomplish savings.
That is why we would welcome changes to the city charter that made our budget truly independent because this concern happens every year and given the important oversight mandate that DOI has,
we believe budget independence is the best way to ensure that we're funded properly.
Right.
And just going to the savings portion, so looking back to previous investigations the department has done, can you provide an example of how DOI investigations have saved money for the city?
Sure.
As I mentioned, in fiscal year 26, to date, we collected $6 million in restitution for the city.
And as an example, in October 2025, a defendant was ordered to pay $1.6 million
in restitution after he inflated invoices and overbilled the city in contracts relating to repairing and maintaining fire alarm systems.
So that is just one specific example of how we bring back money to the city, and that goes into the city's general fund.
In other non-quantifiable ways, I think we also save the city money by deterring corruption through our oversight.
And the asylum seeker monitorship is one way where we actually are able to quantify it.
And there we identified about $5 million in mistaken overbilling that the city was able to recoup.
Okay, so $5 million in the asylum seeker.
contracts.
Interesting.
I'm sure there's a lot of others that you can give us a list of.
And I mean, if you can also provide other examples, that would be great in terms of follow-up.
Yes, we can certainly get back to that.
Okay.