City's response to the Auditor General’s report on childcare, cultural and social non-profit leases

Today, the City of Vancouver’s Auditor General, Mike Macdonell, released a performance audit report on the City of Vancouver’s childcare, cultural and social non-profit leases.  
 
This non-profit lease portfolio leverages City-owned properties to offer subsidized leases to organizations whose work aligns with City Council’s goals in the areas of childcare, arts and culture, and social development. As per the Vancouver Charter, these leases constitute a grant in support of the organizations. At the time of the audit, the portfolio included 119 agreements with 86 non-profit organizations. 
 
In response to the Auditor General’s report, Margaret Wittgens, the City’s General Manager of Arts, Culture and Community Services released the following statement:  
 
“I would like to extend my appreciation to the Office of the Auditor General for their professionalism and thoroughness in conducting this audit. I would also like to express my gratitude to the staff in Arts, Culture, and Community Services, as well as other involved departments, for their active participation, inclusivity, collaboration and transparency. Their insights have been instrumental in informing the recommendations and response in this report.” 
 
“Our team acknowledges the importance of this audit process and supports the ten recommendations outlined in this report. We have carefully reviewed the recommendations provided, agree with them, and have outlined how these recommendations will be addressed in our management response. Much of the work to implement these recommendations is already underway, and we are committed to completing the necessary actions to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of our non-profit lease management practices.” 
 
Read the General Manager of Arts, Culture and Community Services’ full response in the Auditor’s Report. 

About the Office of the Auditor General

The Office of the Auditor General was established by Vancouver City Council on November 4, 2020, with the mandate of assisting Council in holding itself and City administrators accountable for the quality of stewardship over public funds, and for achievement of value for money in City operations. For more information, and to read past audit reports, visit the Auditor General's webpage on vancouver.ca.