Public commenters call for independent review of county auditor-controller Ensign Mason
Loading...
Summary
Multiple speakers at the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors meeting urged an independent audit and legal review of Ensign Mason, the county's auditor-controller-treasurer-tax-collector, citing potential conflicts between his public role and private financial advisory business.
Several residents urged San Bernardino County supervisors to order an independent review of Ensign Mason, the county's auditor-controller-treasurer-tax-collector, saying his private financial-advisory work creates a potential conflict with control over a multi-billion-dollar county investment pool.
"When public investment decisions involve billions of dollars, even the perception of conflicting roles deserves review," said Stacy Arnold during the public comment period, pointing to Mason's outside advisory firm and the county investment pool he oversees. Mark Lee added: "It doesn't make sense that the county could be allowing a Nancy Pelosi style investment fraud to happen in our county," and asked the board to audit the auditor. Business owner Corey Tarlow told the board Mason's public salary and benefits (which Tarlow said total roughly $331,000 plus $111,000 in retirement and health contributions) make the potential for overlapping public and private financial interests "a huge potential conflict of interest."
The witnesses urged the board to refer the matter to legal counsel and to commission an independent audit by an external firm not affiliated with Mason or his office. Speakers suggested the review should focus on whether public investment decisions or county contracts have benefited Mason's private clients.
The board did not take an immediate formal action on the floor to open an independent audit during this meeting. The consent calendar, which included routine items, passed unanimously earlier in the session. No public response from Ensign Mason was recorded in the public-comment portion of this meeting.
Why it matters: The county's pooled investment fund is managed under the auditor-controller-treasurer-tax-collector's office. Residents argued that independent review would protect public trust where a single official maintains a private financial-advice business while overseeing public investments.
Next steps: Speakers asked supervisors to refer the concerns to county legal counsel and to order an external audit; the board did not announce such a referral at the meeting.
