Comptroller General requests $1M for outside consultants to implement audit recommendations, seeks carryforward authority

Brian Gaines, the Comptroller General, briefed the Constitutional Subcommittee on Jan. 29 on staffing, systems modernization and pending proviso requests tied to audit follow‑up work.

Gaines said the office’s recurring budget is about $5.3 million, with a nonrecurring office modernization appropriation of roughly $1.25 million already authorized. He outlined three statewide divisions, 43 total FTEs, and recent accomplishments including completion of phase 1 of an ACTFR report‑writer implementation with Workiva and hiring a quality‑assurance manager in January.

Gaines described two pending requests. First, a $1,000,000 recurring appropriation to contract a third‑party accounting, auditing or consulting firm to assist with implementing recommendations from the Alex Partners report and to continue work from the earlier Malden & Jenkins review. "We will actually get someone in now, to help us start to develop and, roll out some of the processes and procedures that have been identified in both reports," Gaines said. He told the panel the office could accept the money as nonrecurring if that is more feasible for the budget process and said the intent is to use carryforward funds initially and return next year with options on whether new FTEs are needed.

Second, Gaines asked for carryforward authority across funds so remaining balances at fiscal year end can be used for accounting, auditing and legal services on behalf of the office. He emphasized that some recommendations will require decisions about how functions are allocated across government offices and urged the committee to consider recommendation 6 of the Alex Partners report — which addresses where certain functions should reside and what professionals should lead them.

Gaines answered questions about the AP/Payroll division’s metrics (the AP team processes roughly 2,500 documents per day) and said phase 2 of the Workiva project will let agencies submit closing packages directly to the system, with agency access planned for August. He framed the $1 million request as a potential alternative to adding high‑cost FTEs: "If the rate if the thought process is that we need 3 or 4 more folks, as opposed to potentially outsourcing a portion of that service for a lesser fee, I think that would be the long term solution for the agency," he said.

The subcommittee indicated it would consider the requests and associated proviso language; no formal vote was taken at the hearing.