Milwaukee County audit director outlines office role, independence safeguards and ongoing projects

The director of Audit Services told the Milwaukee County Board's Audit Committee that the office exists to provide "independent, objective and timely analysis of information" and described steps taken to preserve its independence after the office moved under the elected Comptroller.

The report matters because the Audit Services office reviews county programs, follows up on recommendations, and administers the contract for the county's annual financial audit. Committee members pressed the director on workforce demographics, progress on a countywide data-governance effort and how the office identifies comparative counties for benchmarking.

Director Follier said Audit Services issues performance audits, operates the county's fraud hotline and manages the outside contract for the annual financial statement audit, but does not perform financial audits in-house. "We are a performance audit shop. We do not, do financial audits," Follier said. She described the office's focus on helping "policy makers and program managers in providing high quality service and amen services in a manner that is honest, efficient, effective and accountable to the citizens of Milwaukee County." (Quotation text taken from the committee presentation.)

Follier noted the office's institutional shift after a change in state law that created the elected Office of the Comptroller and moved Audit Services under that office. She said…