COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — A March city audit report found Mayor Yemi Mobolade used his city vehicle and security detail multiple times for personal use.
The report, which is just over one page long, stems from a hotline report against an elected official. The mayor's office confirmed Mobolade is the official named in the report.
Though the report found instances of using city resources for personal use, it does not appear to officially violate standing policy. Current city policies only apply to civilian employees and not elected officials, leading to calls for a new policy to be implemented.
The city’s policies and procedures manual for civilian employees only allows city vehicles to be used for official city business and not personal errands.
- Hear from Mayor Mobolade and his response to the audit
The city auditor found the mayor’s security detail accompanied him five times in 2025 to pick up his dry cleaning or his children from school, and one instance attending a child’s elementary graduation, all before continuing onto city work.
The report stated the stops were "incidental to official travel" and the security detail was not directed to perform personal errands on behalf of the mayor.
A second instance involved the mayor’s wife, Abbey, driving his city-owned vehicle between May and June 2025 for 152.5 miles. The mayor’s office said she used the vehicle for a temporary period when his personal car was in the shop.
Finance records confirmed the car’s use, and the "appropriate IRS fringe benefit" was reported. The audit report confirmed the city's resources were used appropriately.
"That seemed to the committee to be inappropriate, but there is no policy which says it's inappropriate regarding the mayor because he's elected," Colorado Springs City Councilman Dave Donelson said.
The audit report recommends the city "establish a clear and enforceable policy governing 'elected officials'" for police detail and use of city vehicles.
"Our lawyers tell us that it's a very much a gray zone. If we were to create the rules, do they apply to the mayor? So he needs to do it himself. Voters can decide if that policy kind of meets their expectations," Donelson said.
"I appreciate the City Auditor’s thorough review of this matter, particularly because no policy related to this currently exists. As we do with all reports, my administration will take the Audit Committee’s recommendation under consideration as we work to strengthen transparency and accountability moving forward," Mobolade said.
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