Offices of Inspectors General (OIG) are commonly known as “watchdog” agencies and are found at all levels of local, state and federal government.

In Miami-Dade, the OIG has oversight of over 40 county departments, including Aviation, the Seaport, Transit, Housing, Community and Economic Development, Water and Sewer, Solid Waste, Public Works and the Public Health Trust (JMH).

The Board of County Commissioners determined that the oversight of such a large and diverse government required the OIG to be independent and autonomous. It empowered the OIG to investigate and review allegations of waste, fraud, abuse and mismanagement. Under a new ordinance approved by the Board of County Commissioners in March 2005, the Inspector General serves a four-year term and future Inspectors General will be selected by a committee comprised of the State Attorney, Public Defender, Ethics Commission Chairperson, President of the Police Chiefs Association and the local head of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

The Miami-Dade Inspector General has authority to review past, present and proposed County and Public Health Trust programs, accounts, records, contracts, and transactions. The OIG investigates allegations of fraud, waste, abuse and misconduct amongst public officials and County employees, as well as contractors and vendors doing business with the County.

To carry out this function, the OIG is empowered with the ability to require the production of documents and records in the possession and control of the County, and has the power to issue subpoenas, where necessary. The OIG can also require reports from any County official, County agency or instrumentalities regarding any matter in its jurisdiction. The OIG also has the power to report on and recommend to County government on whether a particular program, contract or transaction is financially sound, reasonable, necessary or operationally deficient. The OIG may conduct random audits and provides general oversight of department programs and large-scale construction projects.

For examples of our work product and what the OIG does, please visit our PRESS RELEASES & OIG REPORTS page.