HP overbilled city for 911 upgrade: Liu

The city's attempt to improve the 911 system resulted in a multimillion-dollar disaster, according to an audit released yesterday by the city comptroller.

Comptroller John Liu's report says Hewlett-Packard was unqualified to upgrade the 911 systems and cost taxpayers $163 million, rivaling the CityTime timekeeping fraud scandal, according to Liu.

"We have long feared that CityTime was not an isolated incident, and unfortunately what we have learned today is that our fear has become a reality," he said in a statement.

In 2005, the city hired HP to streamline the city's 911 system to improve dispatches to first responders. HP allegedly overbilled the city with questionable timesheets, according to the audit.

The mayor's office disagreed with the audit, contending there were no overruns.