Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Local Government topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Gardner City search committee interviews two finalists for city auditor
Summary
A five-member special search committee interviewed two candidates for Gardner City auditor, heard each applicant’s auditing, budgeting and software experience, and recessed to continue interviews; the committee plans to recommend a candidate to the full council for a final vote.
A special search committee of the Gardner City Council interviewed two finalists for the elected city auditor position during a public meeting on Feb. 4, 2026. The committee — led by Chair Alex Genolowicz — heard questions about candidates’ municipal audit experience, familiarity with accounting standards and local systems, and logistics for assuming the role.
Both applicants emphasized experience with audits, reconciliation and internal controls. Donette Oviato Camacho, who appeared remotely, told committee members she has "26 years" in accounting and municipal audit work and said, "I have a passion for auditing to exercise my skills in transparency and accountability." Camacho described past work reconciling balance sheets and income statements, overseeing grant- and hospital-related budgets, and serving as an independent municipal auditor to address variances and prior findings.
Cameron Butler, interviewed in person, said he has roughly 20 years of budgeting experience and that he is "very technical," noting skills with Excel and SQL for data analysis. Butler told the committee he had led internal audits and implementation of stronger policies at previous employers, and he said auditor responsibilities include producing independent, nonpartisan financial reports to the council and the mayor.
Committee members pressed both candidates on several practical topics. Camacho and Butler discussed oversight of employee-benefit claims and pension-related audits, reconciliation of multiple bank and project accounts, and methods for explaining complex financial situations to nonfinancial audiences. Camacho described using visuals and simple analogies to present findings; Butler described monthly and quarterly reconciliation controls and accrual adjustments to avoid large year-end swings.
Both candidates said they knew or could learn the city’s software environment. Camacho said she is familiar with Tyler Munis and CentralSquare and emphasized Excel experience; Butler listed multiple ERP and financial systems he has used and said payroll in Gardner is handled through Munis while timekeeping systems vary by department.
The committee also addressed logistics. Genolowicz said the auditing department consists of an auditor and an assistant auditor and that the retirement-board administrator works separately. Genolowicz told candidates the committee’s role is to make a recommendation to the full council, which must vote to elect a new auditor. The committee recessed and said it expects to produce a recommendation to bring before the full council at the next scheduled meeting, with members referencing the council’s meeting schedule for formal action.
The special search committee did not take a final vote during the interview meeting. Its next steps, as stated to applicants, are to complete remaining interviews, develop a recommendation and submit that recommendation to the full council for consideration.
