Financial Management Committee recommends standing purchasing and investment committees to increase oversight

The Sumner County Financial Management Committee voted to recommend that the county's legislative body create two standing committees to strengthen procurement and investment oversight.

Chair (Speaker 1) moved that the committee recommend creation of a purchasing committee and an investment committee, each with five members and including two members from the Financial Management Committee. "I think we need a purchasing committee, and I think we need an investment committee," the chair said, arguing that separate bodies would provide more focused oversight than the current combined structure.

Members discussed scope and process: whether the committee should be standing or ad hoc, whether to adjust standing rules, and whether the committee chair should serve on the legislative committee. Several members noted the county has experienced repeated purchasing exceptions and that spot checks and a more granular purchasing policy could reduce errors and increase transparency.

Speaker 3 described plans to prepare redlined changes to the county's purchasing policy for the committee to review at a future meeting; the committee approved a motion asking finance to return with proposed redlines and to solicit input from department heads including the sheriff's office and library.

The recommendation will be forwarded to the county legislative body, which must adopt any change to standing committees and membership. Committee members said they would draft scopes and recommended membership and expect the legislative review to take place before January.