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Commissioners agree to Baker Tilly contract for budget advisory, urge council to pay fees
Summary
After debate about cost and alternatives, the board approved entering three Baker Tilly contracts for 2026 budget work and forwarded them to the county council; commissioners recommended the council fund the contracts rather than the commissioners' budget.
The Scott County Board of Commissioners approved entering into three contracts with Baker Tilly to provide budget and financial advisory services for the 2026/2027 budget cycle and forwarded the agreements to the county council for execution.
Commissioners criticized repeated use of an outside firm that had been described initially as a one‑time engagement and raised concerns about hourly rates and prior-year spending. “Their top paid person is $705 an hour,” one commissioner said, contrasting Baker Tilly’s rates with other advisers. A staff member explained the statutory process: commissioners review contracts and may approve or deny them, but the council may proceed if it chooses.
The board voted to approve the contracts by voice vote and adopted a separate recommendation that the council pay the Baker Tilly fees from the council’s budget rather than from the commissioners’ budget. Commissioners noted a 60‑day termination clause and asked for a year‑end reevaluation to identify potential savings or more economical alternatives.
The contracts cover budget advisory, a letter of engagement and related services for the current budget cycle; commissioners asked staff to provide full contract copies and rate schedules to their office and to the council for transparency prior to final execution.
