Audit committee told attorney general’s office paid for services during unsigned contract period; about $9,447 remains outstanding

Wayne County audit staff told the county’s Audit Committee that the Attorney General’s office paid for executive protection services provided during a period when no signed contract covered those services, and that roughly $9,447 remains outstanding.

At a committee meeting, Tierra, a contract-team staff member, said the Attorney General’s office “paid short of $9,447” for services rendered while the parties did not have an executed contract in place. Tierra said the office invoiced the amount and that it is “just outstanding,” not in dispute.

The committee was given a breakdown of amounts: staff said the outstanding $9,447 relates to fiscal year 2024 and that fiscal year 2025 was discussed separately (staff referenced an approximately $106,000 figure for fiscal year 2025). Committee members asked whether the outstanding amount was disputed; Tierra replied, “It’s not in dispute. It’s just outstanding,” and that payment would be remitted once invoicing and the new contract were processed.

Why it matters: the audit flagged a lapse in contract oversight for revenue-generating agreements. Staff said the county’s current contract-monitoring tool (TCM) does not surface revenue contracts in the same way it surfaces non-revenue contracts. Tierra said the county’s new contract team had not been aware the executive protection services contract had expired until contacted by the Attorney General’s office.

Corrective steps and billing practice changes: staff reported they have created an internal spreadsheet and are placing contract records and resolutions on a shared SharePoint drive so contracts and related approvals are centrally visible. A committee member and staff emphasized a recommendation (25‑25‑02b) that field providers submit monthly hours to the billing lead (identified in the discussion as Miss Safransky) so revenue contracts can be billed monthly instead of processed in large lump sums.

On the county’s enterprise systems, Commissioner Cohen asked whether the Oracle implementation will include a contract module that automatically flags expirations. Staff said they currently rely on TCM and some offline, standalone systems; they expect to coordinate with central accounts receivable and relevant offices but do not expect Oracle to be patched locally.

Documentation and next steps: staff said their final billing included a copy of the commission resolution approving the contract and a signed contract copy were provided to accounts receivable to support billing for the executive protection services. The auditor/audit staff said the corrective action plan will examine how recommendations apply across revenue contracts and may review the Wayne County Community College arrangement as a comparable example, though assessing corrective action will vary by contract type.

The committee voted to receive and file the audit report. Commissioner Wilson moved the motion, Commissioner Killeen supported it, and the chair announced, “Motion carried.” The committee recorded no public comments before adjourning.

The meeting also included a brief staff announcement: Marcy, a representative present from the Attorney General’s office, introduced Kristen Prestel as a new member of the Office of the Attorney General.

What’s next: staff said they will finalize corrective-action materials and follow up with the committee; the report update and management response were circulated to committee members the morning of the meeting.