Committee defers vote on resolution to fund independent CIP auditor for watershed; requests more review

The Finance, Audit and Budget Committee voted to defer consideration of a resolution to establish and fund an independent capital-improvement-program (CIP) auditor and staff support. The resolution, previously circulated and described to the committee as establishing roles and responsibilities for a CIP auditor to monitor capital program implementation, was placed on the agenda as item 2025-0240.

Committee members said they wanted additional time to research the proposed auditor's scope and to receive the most recent text of the sponsoring commissioner's resolution. Commissioner Ted Terry opened discussion saying several members wanted to "do a little more research and have some conversations about the confines of this role." Commissioner Michelle Long Spears asked staff to distribute the latest version of Commissioner Davis Johnson's resolution to all members.

Director Campbell and staff said they would provide considerations about structure and independence for the post. Director Campbell noted the county's internal audit office uses a risk-based approach and that having a dedicated auditor focused on CIP projects could be valuable because the internal-audit office has limited staffing and cannot cover every capital project on a full-time basis.

After discussion, a motion to defer item 2025-0240 for two weeks passed on a voice vote. The committee asked staff and legal counsel to circulate the latest resolution text and the audit office to provide independence and structure considerations for the committee to review before the next meeting.

Next steps: staff to circulate the current resolution text and the audit office to prepare a memo with structural independence considerations and draft job-description elements for committee review.