Acting controller outlines plan to complete multi-year audits; mayor sets tightened amendment deadlines

During the budget review, Acting Controller Wendy Cole told the council that the proposed 2026 fees line includes funding to complete the 2023, 2024 and 2025 audits next year. The '22 audit will be paid from the current year, Cole said, and the retained outside audit lead will focus primarily on completing backlog audits while controller staffing is strengthened.

Cole said the 2022 audit will be the most time-consuming for the new external auditor because the firm must establish base records and systems. Once the firm completes 2022, the subsequent audit cycle for later years should proceed more quickly, with the office returning to a routine single-audit-per-year cadence if staffing is maintained.

On process and schedule, the mayor and the administration reiterated procedural deadlines for council amendments to the budget. Council was told that all amendments should use the provided budget-amendment template and that the administration will post a consolidated list of amendments after the submission deadline so the council and public can review proposed changes before amendment debate. The mayor said the administration will reach out to council members who submit similar or overlapping amendments to coordinate consolidation prior to circulation.

The mayor updated the amendment submission time to noon on Friday the 17th (instead of 5 p.m.), saying the earlier deadline will give the administration more time to prepare fiscal impact information and assemble consolidated materials for council and the public. The administration committed to circulating the consolidated amendment list to council before the amendment deliberations and to provide fiscal impact calculations as possible.