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Former GAO auditor urges commission to create independent performance auditor office
Summary
A visitor with three decades of performance‑audit experience urged the Charter Review Commission to establish an independent office of performance audit within the legislative branch, saying such offices yield strong returns on investment and better program outcomes.
Brian Estes, a former Federal Government Accountability Office auditor who later worked with the King County auditor’s office, urged the Charter Review Commission during public comment to create an independent office of the performance auditor in Whatcom County.
Estes described performance auditing standards (the “Yellow Book”) and national best practices, said properly structured audit offices can report independently to the legislative branch and avoid political interference, and cited King County’s experience: he said King County’s office reported an estimated $240 million in savings over three years at a cost of about $9 million, a roughly 26:1 return on investment. Estes argued performance audits can improve efficiency and equity in high‑stakes areas such as behavioral health, homelessness and housing strategies.
He recommended the commission give an independent performance auditor clear legal protections, funding and authority so the office can operate without managerial or political interference. Estes also told commissioners that jurisdictions he had worked with saw measurable cost savings and program improvements after establishing independent performance-audit functions.
Commissioners thanked the speaker; the public comment did not immediately trigger a formal motion at the meeting. Any charter or ordinance changes to create such an office would require drafting, legal review, and a funding plan before appearing on a future agenda or on the ballot.
