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Washington County council approves up to $37,500 for independent audit of highway garage BOT project
Summary
The Washington County Council approved an additional appropriation of up to $37,500 to retain outside legal counsel, independent auditors and inspectors to review costs and construction of the highway garage BOT project. The vote followed months of debate and a State Board of Accounts audit that flagged procurement and payment questions.
The Washington County Council on Tuesday approved an additional appropriation of up to $37,500 to pay for an independent audit and inspection of the county’s highway garage BOT (build–operate–transfer) project.
Council member Karen moved to approve the appropriation and a colleague, Preston, seconded; the measure passed by voice vote after a public hearing limited to comments about the appropriation and a period of debate among council members and county commissioners.
Nut graf: The appropriation is intended to fund independent legal review, a financial audit and a site inspection to clarify total project costs and whether procedures required by the State Board of Accounts and Indiana law were followed. The action comes after the State Board of Accounts audit noted deviations from contract terms and raised questions about whether competitive bidding requirements were properly applied to purchases made for the project.
Council members and commissioners described competing pressures: some residents and elected officials urged immediate transparency and an inspection of the facility’s workmanship, while others cautioned against spending more public dollars and urged the council to secure outside legal counsel first so the review can proceed without conflicts. A letter from county counsel recommending retention of independent counsel was read into the record.
The council’s stated next steps are procedural: identify outside legal counsel and independent auditing/inspection firms, bring candidate firms and qualifications to a regular public meeting for approval, and then proceed with contracted work. County counsel told the body that, under Indiana practice, the council may approve funds but the commissioners typically execute county contracts; outside counsel will advise on the correct procurement path.
What the appropriation covers: Council and commissioners described the scope as attorney fees for outside counsel to advise on the investigation, fees for an independent financial audit of project accounts, and an inspection by an engineer or construction professional to compare the promised scope with the finished work. The estimate presented at the meeting was $37,500; speakers said final invoices may vary.
The meeting record shows no roll-call vote listing individual yes/no votes; council leaders called the voice vote in the affirmative and declared the motion passed.
The council closed the special meeting by instructing staff to place the selection of outside counsel and professional auditors/inspectors on a future agenda so the work can begin.
