BREAKING: Council Member Krista Laine Uses Tax Dollars to Lie About the Outside Audit and Campaign Against the Outside Audit Through Official Franking - - - Austin Council Member Krista Laine could be in some very hot water. Today she sent out an official email newsletter, prepared by taxpayer-funded city staff, on a platform, in an office, and with internet paid for by taxpayers, to dishonestly campaign against the Outside Audit. » Read the email she sent out here -- mailchi.mp/mc.onbehalfof.aus…. She includes an intentionally dishonest comparison of the City’s fake internal audit and our Outside Audit charter amendment: "Proposition I would require the City to engage in a shorter, more expensive version of the efficiency audit it already conducts. That’s right: in addition to the City’s regular audits (there’s actually a whole department devoted to auditing), the City is already having an efficiency audit done right now, by Public Works LLC, thanks to an ordinance passed by Council following the failure of Prop Q last November. "Our current efficiency audit will take three years to finish, in contrast to the audit proposed by Prop I, which would need to be completed in one year, resulting in an increased cost. And the Prop I audit would have to suggest budget cuts greater than or equal to the cost of the audit itself, even if it meant cutting city services. Lastly, Prop I could open up the City to expensive lawsuits by individuals who dislike the outcome of the one-year audit. Learn about the differences between our current independent efficiency assessment and the one proposed on the ballot in the table below and at this link." REAL TALK: > There is no legitimate cost estimate for our charter amendment. None. > There is no mention of the fact our charter amendment REQUIRES the audit contractor to identify MORE IN SAVINGS than the cost of the audit (unlike their fake audit). So, it doesn’t “cost” anything. It’s revenue neutral at worst. > Houston’s external performance audit had a ratio of 254:1 in cost savings to audit cost. > Nothing about the city’s fake internal audit is required to be transparent. Our Outside Audit charter amendment is REQUIRED to be fully released, not just the findings, but all drafts of the findings and all background materials. > Their fake audit can be undone by six votes on the City Council any time after Jan. 1, 2027. And it will be if Prop I fails, trust me. > The City is doing a fake audit so they can falsely and fraudulently call ours redundant. > They have no real interest in becoming more efficient. They didn’t even propose their fake audit until we were six weeks into collecting petitions for our charter amendment. > Our charter amendment REQUIRES and audit be completed NO LESS THAN ONE YEAR before any future tax rate election is called by City Hall. A tax rate election is required if a city wishes to raise property taxes by more than 3.5% year over year, as Austin attempted last year with Prop Q (an immoral and unjustified 20% city property tax increase in perpetuity on EVERY residential and commercial property, which we led the fight to kill 63%-37% against the Mayor and 9/10 council members). In addition to this use of taxpayer-funded official activity being DEEPLY inappropriate, the Outside Audit will likely pass in her district (NW Austin, District 6, formerly well represented by Mackenzie Kelly) by a YES ON PROP I (Eye) vote of at least 70%, so it’s also politically unwise. Does this taxpayer use of money to lie about our Outside Audit charter amendment fire you up? Support us here: secure.anedot.com/save-austi… Please share!