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Auditor General

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The Auditor General is an independent officer appointed by Vancouver City Council to help hold the City accountable. This includes ensuring quality stewardship of public funds and achieving value for money in City operations.  

The Auditor General conducts financial, compliance, and performance audits across all City departments, including the offices of the Mayor and Council, Boards, and City-controlled corporations. The Auditor General does not conduct the City’s annual financial audit, which continues to be carried out by external financial auditors. 

At the request of the relevant oversight board, the Auditor General may also audit the Vancouver Police Department, Vancouver Public Library, and the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation. 

The Auditor General By-Law No 12816 (225 KB) was enacted by City Council on November 4, 2020 and updated in 2023.

Meet Mike Macdonell, Auditor General

Portrait of Auditor General Mike Macdonell. Photo by Kent Kallberg.Mike Macdonell (he, him, his) was selected by the Auditor General Recruitment Committee and was appointed by Council as the City of Vancouver’s inaugural Auditor General for a non-renewable 7-year term commencing September 7, 2021. 

Mike graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada in 1987 and was commissioned as an officer in the Royal Canadian Navy. Upon leaving the navy, Mike joined the Office of the Auditor General of British Columbia (OAGBC), where he obtained his Chartered Professional Accountant designation in 1995. Over 23 years, Mike led audits of Crown corporations, ministries, and legislative offices in areas including health care, transportation, public utilities, police services, performance management, and public accountability reporting, finishing his time with OAGBC as Assistant Auditor General, Quality Assurance, Standards and Administration. 

Mike then moved into the private sector, where he led BC’s Public Sector Enterprise Risk Services at a national advisory firm. He also provided technical reviews and quality control for audits at the Office of the Auditor General for Local Government. 

A Chartered Professional Accountant, Mike was elected a Fellow in 2022 (FCPA, FCA). Mike is also a Certified Fraud Examiner and holds Bachelor of Arts and Master of Business Administration degrees. As a volunteer, he served 6 years on the Council of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of BC and sat on the Institute's Practice Review and Licensing Committee as well as the Public Practice Committee of CPABC, and is a past-Board Chair of the United Way of Southern Vancouver Island. 

Photo credit: Kent Kallberg

Learn about the Whistleblower Program

The Office of the Auditor General independently administers the City of Vancouver’s Whistleblower Policy (155 KB). 

Fraud and misconduct

Confidentially report fraud, waste, and serious misconduct by City employees using this online form.

Submit a report

Under the Policy, City of Vancouver employees and the general public can report allegations of serious wrongdoing including: 

  • Conflicts of interest
  • Fraud
  • Waste
  • Serious misuse or mismanagement of public funds or assets

A report can involve City of Vancouver employees, volunteers, or contractors.

Submit a confidential report of wrongdoing

Allegations regarding the Mayor or City Councillors should be reported to the City of Vancouver Integrity Commissioner.   

Suggest future audit topics

We want to hear from you about future audit topics. Email the Office of the Auditor General at oag@vancouver.ca.

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