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Public commenter asks trustees why finance, audit and legal fees rose in FY 26–27 budget
Summary
Kim Sherwood used her public comment time to press trustees for explanations of specific line‑item increases in the proposed FY 2026–27 budget, including finance department salaries, audit services, and a large rise in legal fees in the trustees' budget.
Kim Sherwood, a public commenter, told the board she had emailed questions on June 4 and asked them again at the hearing about several line items in the second reading of the FY 2026–27 budget. She questioned how the finance department's total salaries could rise while staffing moves from seven to six, asking, "How can salaries in this department increase when the number of employees is decreasing from 7 to six?"
Sherwood also said the district will not renew the audit services contract with Strict Solutions and pressed, "Who will be performing these audit services going forward? Where is that cost located in the budget?"
She flagged a $54,000 increase in the trustees' budget and pointed to legal fees rising from $50,000 to $99,000 and supplies from $5,000 to $10,000, asking whether board members were aware of and had approved those increases. She asked similarly about the superintendent's office supplies increase from $10,000 to $25,000 and how procurement rules allow the superintendent to incur legal fees without board approval.
The transcript records the chair thanking Sherwood for her comments; no on‑the‑record, line‑by‑line answers to Sherwood's specific questions are recorded in the meeting transcript. The board acknowledged public participation and later adjourned.
