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Polk County selects Redpath for three-year audit after RFP; commissioners seek safeguards
Summary
After an RFP, Polk County approved a three-year engagement with Redpath (three-year proposal total cited as $212,000) to perform county audits and authorized the administrator and finance director to sign the engagement; some commissioners cautioned about the size of the savings versus the incumbent firm.
Polk County commissioners voted to engage Redpath for the county's audit services following a competitive request-for-proposals process.
County staff said Redpath's three-year proposal totaled $212,000 and that the chosen firm was the lowest of three respondents. Staff described a thorough review that included interviews, reference checks and sample report reviews. "We did a very thorough analysis," a staff member said, urging the board that the selection reflects both qualifications and cost.
Several commissioners expressed concern that the lower price constituted a large savings versus the incumbent auditor and asked whether the lower bid would result in gaps. Staff replied that the proposal assumes greater internal ownership of audit preparation by county finance staff and that Redpath proposed fewer billing hours because the county would deliver more complete work papers. The board passed a resolution to retain Redpath and separately authorized the county administrator and finance director to execute the engagement documents.
The resolution passed without a recorded roll-call; commissioners requested that the finance office and the new auditor clearly document deliverables and thresholds that would trigger additional charges. Staff said the contract includes provisions for additional work if audit findings require rework or extra procedures.
