Good Tuesday afternoon --

KXAN’s Cora Neas has a blockbuster story today detailing $980,000 in fraudulent spending by an employee at Austin Energy to ‘fictitious’ vendors.

THIS IS EXACTLY WHY WE NEED A REGULAR, INDEPENDENT PERFORMANCE AUDIT OF THE ENTIRE CITY OF AUSTIN BUDGET (and the utilities like Austin Energy).

This is why we are launching a charter amendment effort on the shortest timeline in the history of Austin.

Our mission: Collect ~25k valid signed petitions by Jan. 15, 2026 to qualify for the May 2026 ballot.

Read the story below…

Want to help force this audit?

Our website SaveAustinNow.com allows you to:

• Read the petition

• Download it, print it, fill it out, sign it and mail it in

• Request a petition be mailed to you (postage paid on return!)

• Find one of 15 locations across Austin where you can sign the petition IN PERSON

• Donate to our efforts

Austin Energy employee allegedly paid $980K to ‘fictitious vendors,’ city auditor says

By Cora Neas

December 9, 2025

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin City Auditor’s Office released a report Tuesday accusing a local couple, both of whom previously worked for the city, of defrauding the city for approximately $980,000 by sending payments to allegedly fictitious businesses.

The report focuses on the alleged actions of Mark Ybarra, who worked as a facility service specialist for Austin Energy. He was issued a city credit card by his superiors for the procurement of necessary tools and materials, the audit said.

According to the report, he used the card to “pay fictitious vendors approximately $980,000 and fraudulently reported these transactions in City records.”

“The falsified invoices he submitted were ultimately discovered by his management in Austin Energy. Some of the fictitious vendors used contact information like addresses that connected them to relatives of Mark Ybarra, or Mark himself,” reads an email to KXAN from the auditor’s office.

According to the city auditor’s report, Ybarra allegedly made payments to 22 fictious businesses using the card. He resigned from his job in October 2023.

A grand jury indicted Ybarra on Aug. 23. He now faces a felony charge of theft greater than $300,000.

His wife, former Austin Watershed Protection employee Ambrosia Ybarra, “refused to answer questions” from city auditors. She was indicted on Sept. 15 and charged with felony theft between $150,000 and $300,000. She resigned from her job in November, the report states.

KXAN has