USA/IOWA | Ombudsman releases 2012 Annual Report

Iowa Ombudsman Ruth Cooperrider has issued the office’s Annual Report for 2012. The office, situated in the legislative branch, investigates complaints about state and local government agencies.  The office of 15 full-time employees opened 4,498 cases in 2012.

Report highlights include:

• A message from Ombudsman Ruth Cooperrider,
• Iowa Supreme Court opinion ruling that the Ombudsman may conduct sworn interview of an Administrative Law Judge,
• Details of a 2012 public report entitled “Investigation of Earlham Community School District Employee’s Personal Use of a School Vehicle”,
• Articles on special topics, including: funding for mental health system redesign, open meetings/open records matters; changes and developments for child support and child welfare; and happenings in Iowa’s corrections system,
• Eight steps for citizens to resolve their own complaints,
• Summaries of some cases that were investigated,
• A map that shows how 2012 contacts were distributed among Iowa’s 99 counties,
• A table that shows how contacts with the Ombudsman were distributed among state and local government agencies in Iowa.

Source: Office of the Ombudsman of Iowa