Russell County board votes to ask state auditors and state police to begin audit after months-long dispute

Russell County supervisors on the evening’s agenda approved a motion authorizing the county administrator and county attorney to initiate an audit/investigation by the Auditor of Public Accounts (APA) and the Virginia State Police.

The vote followed several hours of debate over whether the board should proceed with a private forensic audit solicited through an earlier RFP (the audit committee had ranked a private firm, UHY, as the top choice) or ask state agencies to conduct a review. County staff and legal counsel reviewed several options and relevant Virginia code sections governing audits and investigations, and described procedural differences between a consultant forensic audit, an operational/efficiency review, and a state‑led investigation.

Mr. Lester, who led the presentation of audit options, told the board that state agencies had advised the county to submit investigation requests to the Virginia State Police’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation for cases involving concrete allegations. “To date, we have contacted OIG, the Auditors of Public Accounts, and Virginia State Police,” he said, adding that the state agencies had directed some requests to the Richmond division for further action. Mr. Lester also said county staff had not presented specific allegations to the state agencies at the time of the briefing.

Supporters of a state audit argued it would carry greater independence and enforceable authority. “Transparency is the point. Accountability is the point,” one supervisor said during debate (speaker name not specified in the transcript). Several supervisors said they wanted the most definitive review available and cited public trust concerns.

Opponents or those urging caution noted cost and scope questions. County staff reminded the board that, under state code, expenses of a state audit may be borne by the requesting locality and that the locality may receive a bill after the work is completed. Mr. Lester also emphasized the county’s existing annual audit performed by an external auditor, describing it as an ongoing assurance process.

After multiple motions and a discussion of procurement rules for professional services, the board approved the motion to direct county staff to engage the APA and Virginia State Police to begin the process. The transcript records a majority vote in favor; the meeting record does not list a complete roll‑call tally in the transcript excerpts reviewed here.

Next steps: county staff and legal counsel were authorized to initiate contact with the state agencies and to take administrative steps to start the audit/investigation process; the board did not specify a fixed contract amount or final vendor in the motion.