Audit committee reviews FY26 audit plan; members press audits of pass‑through grants, street maintenance and procurement

Auditor Young Ngo presented the Springfield Office of the City Auditor’s proposed fiscal year 2026 audit plan to the Audit Committee, outlining required financial audits, follow‑up reviews and a slate of performance audits the office plans to undertake.

The planned work includes quarterly investment reviews, the annual student‑activities audit required by state law, follow‑up audits on previously recommended corrective actions (building code, facilities and parks and recreation) and performance audits covering information technology at the libraries, street maintenance and street lights, a procurement review at the Empowerment Zone, and evidence‑room procedures and seized cash controls at the Springfield Police Department. Ngo said the office allocated about 400 hours for special requests from the council or management.

Why it matters: Committee members framed the FY26 plan as a tool to protect public dollars and correct inefficiencies. Several councilors pushed for stronger emphasis on funds the city passes through to outside nonprofits and on large contracts and programs that directly affect the budget.

Councilor Tim Allen said he was concerned the plan did not focus enough on the highest‑risk items: “I have a concern that we don't always discuss the things that are most at risk to the city,” he said, and gave the example of money passed to outside organizations. Several members cited recent issues with local nonprofit pass‑throughs and asked the auditor to evaluate those arrangements.

Street‑lights and timing: The auditor said the street‑lights review is scheduled for the fiscal year and that department leadership recommended waiting until the LED conversion is substantially complete (expected November–December) to avoid skewed baseline data. Some councilors objected to postponing the audit until after conversion, saying they feared missing recurring outage credits or other operational issues. The committee asked the auditor to include methodology for selecting sidewalk and street segments and to assess whether the LED transition timing would distort findings.

Other priorities cited by councilors included follow‑up on a previously flagged school busing contract, ARPA fund oversight and procurement review of organizations receiving city funds. The auditor said special‑request hours can be used for targeted, council‑requested work and that the office will engage the audit committee earlier in the plan development process to better align priorities.

Next steps: Auditor Ngo said he will forward the FY26 plan to the audit committee and that the plan will be presented to the full City Council for approval. Committee members requested the auditor provide more information on current external audits to avoid duplication of effort and to circulate supporting data (for example, a recent assessor breakdown of exempt properties and a summary of external audit coverage). No formal vote on the FY26 plan was taken at the meeting; the committee asked for revisions and collaborative follow‑up.