Metro Arts audit-finance committee reviews budget status, audit implementation plan

The Metro Arts Commission Audit and Finance Committee at its inaugural meeting received a budget update, learned that the department has issued a conditional offer for a finance administrator and heard an implementation timeline to address 13 audit recommendations, Committee Chair Commissioner Jester said.

The committee’s interim executive director, Ashley Bachelder, told members Metro Arts is “well in the green” on current-year spending and attributed the underage largely to unfilled positions. She said the department has made a conditional offer to a candidate for the finance administrator role and expects to introduce that person at the next meeting.

The discussion centered on two linked tracks: preparing the department’s request for next year’s municipal budget and implementing the audit of Metro Arts’ financial processes. Bachelder walked commissioners through a monthly OMB budget accountability report, staffing growth figures and a set of budget modification requests that the department plans to present to council during departmental budget hearings.

Why it matters: The committee will oversee correction of audit findings and guide budget requests that could change grant funding and operations at Metro Arts. Bachelder said prioritized…