Council moves to keep internal auditor, sets firm deadline to review applicants

Jackson City council members on Tuesday pushed ahead with plans to keep and fund an internal auditor position and set a schedule to vet applicants.

A council member who had earlier opposed creating the post said the council should fill the role and pledged, "It is my intention as one vote on the budget to fund that position," urging colleagues to do "due diligence" in screening candidates. Council members agreed they would use a rubric circulated by staff to identify applicants they want interviewed and return those rubrics to Kelsey by Friday at close of business.

Christie told the meeting the ethics-related vendor responses (from Ethics Suite) had been forwarded to the ethics committee and that she would follow up if committee members had remaining questions. Chair remarks and other speakers stressed the importance of defining short- and long-term expectations so the auditor, if hired, would begin work with clear scope and authority.

Staff explained that some onboarding and timing depend on the budget process; speakers said a timeline could put operations in place early in the fiscal year and that there is a contractual-services line item that could cover the work. The posting for the internal auditor had just closed, and council members were asked to review roughly 14 applications and indicate which candidates they want interviewed.

A procedural motion to set a deadline for submitting completed rubrics to Kelsey was made and moved forward; the transcript does not record a roll-call vote or tally in the meeting record. The chair said the item can be placed on the council work-session agenda for June 11 at 2:00 for further budget consideration.

The council’s action keeps the internal-auditor position in the proposed budget and moves the hiring process to interview selection; details about a final hire, start date and vote tallies were not specified in the record.