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New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. today issued an audit finding that the New York City Office of Collective Bargaining (OCB) has generally complied with City rules in its procurement practices.

“Transparency and accountability are keys to good government,” Thompson said. “I commend the Office of Collective Bargaining for following the City’s procurement rules and setting a positive example for other City agencies.”

OCB was created in 1967 to enforce the provisions of the Collective Bargaining Law and to resolve disputes between City labor and management. In Fiscal Year 2007, OCB expended $1.8 million, of which $527,933 was for Other Than Personal Services. OCB expended $505,798 for 174 payment vouchers that were the subject of the audit.

The audit – which is available at www.comptroller.nyc.gov – noted that OCB’s procurement practices generally complied with guidelines set forth by the Procurement Policy Board (PPB), Comptroller’s Directives, and its own procedures.

Additionally, auditors did not find any evidence of split purchases, and noted that OCB had adequate segregation of responsibilities in the procurement process and adequate control over its inventory of computers and electronic equipment.

However, auditors identified some minor weaknesses, including that invoices and purchase documents did not always have the proper stamps, and a computer monitor had not been included on an inventory list. The Comptroller noted that because those instances were relatively minor, his office made no recommendations.

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