Tooele County amends code to align with state law on finance officer duties; auditor objects to moving purchasing authority

Tooele County Council members adopted Ordinance 2025-07 on July 1, 2025, to align county code with state law by clarifying the duties of the county finance officer and making the designation of the county purchasing agent discretionary.

The change removes language that had required the county manager to prepare and present a tentative budget and restates that the office of the county finance officer shall exist as provided in state law; the ordinance also clarifies that the council may designate who serves as purchasing agent rather than automatically assigning that duty to the manager.

The changes drew a public comment from Allison McCoy, Tooele County auditor, who said she opposed “the proposed action to remove purchasing responsibilities from the auditor’s office.” McCoy told the council her office had been formally appointed purchasing agent under the new form of government, that staff had worked to improve procurement processes, and that outside auditors had confirmed that keeping purchasing in the auditor’s office is a common practice in Utah: “State code clearly establishes that by default, the county auditor serves as a purchasing agent unless another person is formally appointed.”

County Attorney Scott Broadhead presented the ordinance and explained the edits were intended to bring the county code into conformity with state law. Broadhead said the county finance officer (auditor) should have responsibility consistent with state statute and that some county-code language was redundant or outdated.

Vice Chair Scott Wardle, who presided in the chair’s absence, responded at length to public remarks and council debate, saying the ordinance was not a commentary on performance and expressing regret for any perception of personal conflict: “I am sorry I’ve given the perception at times that I…have hurt you,” Wardle said, addressing the auditor directly during the meeting.

Councilman Ty Hoffman moved to adopt Ordinance 2025-07; Councilman Eric Stromberg seconded. The council voted in favor and the ordinance passed.

The ordinance directs county staff to update code language so the county finance officer’s duties match state law, removes the requirement that the county manager prepare and present the tentative budget, and makes the purchasing-agent designation a discretionary council decision going forward. The council and the auditor agreed during debate that any further clarifications should follow state law and avoid creating operational conflicts between elected offices and the manager’s office.

Local officials said the goal is to reduce conflicts between county code and changing state statutes; staff will follow up on implementation details and update internal processes as needed.