In response to the public’s demand for clean government, the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners created the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) and empowered it to fullfill this mission statement:

The mission of the Miami-Dade County Office of the Inspector General is to detect, investigate, and, where possible, prevent fraud, waste, mismanagement and abuse of power in County projects, programs or contracts.  Our ultimate goal is to prevent misconduct and abuse and seek appropriate remedies to recover public monies.  Above all, the OIG’s principal objective is to promote ethics, honesty and efficiency in government, and to restore and promote the public’s trust in government.  In the final analysis, we must ensure taxpayers get a fair and honest accounting of their money.

The County Commissioners took great lengths to insure that the Inspector General can carry out these goals while autonomous, independent and insulated from political influences. It is one of a few OIGs in the country that has jurisdiction to investigate officials at any level, including elected officials.