San Diego – In a historic vote, The City Council unanimously approved Interim Assistant City Auditor Andy Hanau to become San Diego’s second ever City Auditor and the first City Auditor to take office since Measure D was overwhelmingly implemented by voters in March.
The appointment of Mr. Hanau marks the end of a years-long endeavor by Audit Committee Chairman Scott Sherman to reform the process of how the City Auditor is appointed.
Measured D overhauled the City Auditor selection process and took the power of appointment out of the hands of the Mayoral Administration and into the hands of the Audit Committee and the City Council where it belongs.
The previous process could have created accountability issues since the City Auditor would be tasked with conducting oversight of, and holding accountable, the administration that appointed them. This is the equivalent to the fox guarding the hen house.
“I am confident now more than ever that San Diego will have an effective and independent City Auditor that will protect taxpayers for many years after I’m gone,” said Sherman.
“The Office of the City Auditor is an award-winning office that excels at its mission to advance an open and accountable City government. I am honored by the Audit Committee’s and City Council’s confidence in me, and their confidence in the work our Office does to be an independent voice for positive change’ said City Auditor Andy Hanau.
Since 2019, Andy Hanau has served as the Interim Assistant City Auditor. In this role, Andy oversaw audits, investigations, and strategic initiatives. Three of Andy’s reports have won awards for being amongst the best local government audits in North America.
Andy has earned a Master of Public Policy from the UCLA School of Public Affairs. He also has a B.A. in Political Science from the University of California, San Diego, and is a Certified Internal Auditor and a Certified Fraud Examiner.
“Personally speaking, after working with Andy for several years as Chairman of Audit Committee, there is no one I would rather have at the helm,” said Sherman. “He has proven through past work that he will not bend his ethics or beliefs and will serve as a truly independent City Auditor.”
