Graphic logo that reads" Office of the Inspector General California High-Speed Rail Authority." The logo shows an eagle looking over a graphic representation of tracks with a star. The graphic is dark blue, gold, and white.

Mission

The Office of the Inspector General, High-Speed Rail Authority is tasked with improving oversight and accountability of the California high-speed rail project (Project) by conducting independent, objective reviews and investigations of the High-Speed Rail Authority’s (Authority’s) planning, delivery, and operation of the Project.

Vision

The Office of Inspector General, High-Speed Rail is a team of professionals with a clear understanding of the High-Speed Rail project that conducts rigorous, unbiased reviews to improve the project and keep project stakeholders appropriately informed.

Values

The Office of Inspector General, High-Speed Rail’s team members conduct themselves in accordance with the highest degree of professional standards and the following values:

  • Building Trust – We cultivate trust by conducting every review in an open, objective manner and by effectively managing conflict using a respectful and productive approach.
  • Producing Results – We continually develop our understanding of the High-Speed Rail project so that our reviews address the practical realities of the project, increase clarity for decision makers, and result in measurable progress.
  • Fostering Growth – We continually improve as a team and as individual team members by holding ourselves to high standards of performance, by seeking and effectively responding to feedback, by trusting one another to make decisions and learn from mistakes, and by fostering professional growth in a way that respects the need for work-life balance.

Independence

Public Utilities Code 187020(b) establishes that the Office of the Inspector General, High-Speed Rail Authority is an independent office that is not a subdivision of any other governmental entity, including the Authority. This independence helps provide assurance that the work, opinions, conclusions, judgments, and recommendations of the Inspector General and staff are objective and impartial.

Authority and Duties

Public Utilities Code 187000-187038 created the Office of the Inspector General, High-Speed Rail Authority and assigned the office with authority and responsibility for:

  • Performing audits, reviews, and investigations. The Inspector General initiates audits, reviews, and investigations on the Inspector General’s own accord regarding oversight related to delivery of the Project. The Inspector General also follows up on audits and reviews to determine what measures the Authority has implemented to address the Inspector General’s findings and to assess the effectiveness of those measures. To conduct these audits, reviews, and investigations, the Inspector General has statutory authority to issue subpoenas for the attendance of witnesses, production of records, and the making of sworn statements.
  • Reviewing the Authority’s procurement and contractor oversight. The Inspector General may review the Authority’s selection and oversight of contractors related to the Project. To ensure that the Authority’s contracts are in the best interest of the State, the Inspector General also reviews the Authority’s contracts and contracting practices to determine whether they are consistent with state and federal laws and policies, are conducted in a fair and reasonable manner, and provide the state with valued services at reasonable cost. In addition, the Inspector General reviews the Authority’s processes for considering proposed and executed change orders and makes recommendations to ensure the process is appropriate for determining the merit and reasonableness of change orders.
  • Evaluating the Authority’s project planning and cost and schedule estimates. The Inspector General conducts independent fiscal estimates and reviews of the Authority’s plans and estimates for project advancement and evaluates the reasonableness of those plans and estimates.
  • Monitoring the Authority’s progress in completing the Project. The Inspector General monitors the Authority’s progress in meeting milestones toward the successful completion of the Merced to Bakersfield segment of the Project.
  • Providing guidance on effective practices for capital project management and administration. The Inspector General identifies best practices in the delivery of capital projects and recommends policies for the Authority to adopt to promote efficiency in its administration of programs and operations.
  • Investigating misconduct and mismanagement. The Inspector General receives and investigates complaints and information from individuals both internal and external to the Authority concerning the existence of an activity constituting a violation of laws, rules, regulations, or mismanagement, gross waste of funds, abuse of authority, or a substantial and specific danger to the public health and safety. Click here for information on how to submit a complaint.

Meet the Inspector General

Ben Belnap, Inspector General

Benjamin “Ben” Belnap was appointed as the first ever Inspector General of the California High-Speed Rail Authority by Governor Newsom in September 2023. Before his appointment, Mr. Belnap spent 22 years at the California State Auditor’s Office where he served in several leadership positions, including serving as Deputy State Auditor for eight years. During his more than two decades at the California State Auditor’s Office, Mr. Belnap oversaw performance and compliance audits of numerous state and local government programs and projects. His work included in-depth reviews of procurement and fiscal management practices at a wide variety of state departments, as well as the identification and evaluation of state programs and functions at high risk of fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement. Mr. Belnap earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Brigham Young University.

Mark Reinardy, Chief Deputy Inspector General

Mark Reinardy was appointed Chief Deputy Inspector General by Governor Newsom in October 2023. Prior to stepping into the Chief Deputy Inspector General role, Mr. Reinardy served as a Principal Auditor at the California State Auditor’s Office, where he had held several leadership roles since 2012. While at the California State Auditor’s Office, Mr. Reinardy led multiple performance audits of state and local government programs, including impactful evaluations of state infrastructure and IT projects. Among those was a 2018 audit of the High-Speed Rail Authority’s contracting and cost control practices, which led the Authority to implement several meaningful changes to improve its contract management, contractor monitoring, and spending oversight. Before joining the California State Auditor’s Office, he was a Fiscal Analyst in the City and County of San Francisco Controller’s Office. Mr. Reinardy earned a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of California, Berkeley and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and English Literature from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

CONTACT

Office of the Inspector General
(916) 908-0893
inspectorgeneral@oig.hsr.ca.gov
To report a problem, visit our hotline webpage.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority makes every effort to ensure the website and its contents meet mandated ADA requirements as per the California State mandated Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 Level AA standard. If you are looking for a particular document not located on the California High-Speed Rail Authority website, you may make a request for the document under the Public Records Act through the Public Records Act page. If you have any questions about the website or its contents, please contact the Authority at info@hsr.ca.gov.