Ojai City Council votes to hire Kroll for forensic financial examination

The Ojai City Council voted unanimously in a special session to award a contract to Kroll to conduct a special forensic financial examination after the city disclosed allegations involving former assistant city manager Carl Alameda.

City staff presented four proposals and recommended Kroll. Mr. Arby, a city staff member who introduced the item, said the firms interviewed were all qualified but recommended Kroll based on its proposed approach and team. Ms. Billings, the city’s interim finance director, told the council she was “particularly impressed with the director who graduated valedictorian from Quantico” and said Kroll demonstrated an understanding of the city’s small size and where its weaknesses could be.

The forensic examination differs from the city’s annual audit, staff said. Ms. Billings explained the regular audit provides “a level of reasonableness” about whether the financial statements are fairly presented but does not look for deliberate alterations to records. “The forensic investigation will be more focused on the types of things that someone could alter,” she said, listing…