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Board rejects outside forensic audit, directs internal audit of facilities projects dating back to 2014
Summary
A proposal to retain an outside forensic auditor failed 3–4; the Board then voted 5–2 to direct the district’s Internal Audit office to perform a focused review of facilities projects, awarded contracts and original vs. final costs covering 2014–present.
Trustee Carlos Elizondo moved to retain an external forensic audit firm to examine district financials; the motion failed 3–4. Trustees who opposed the motion cited cost and the risk of duplicating work already performed by the district’s Internal and external auditors.
Trustee Denise Garza then moved to initiate a targeted facilities audit to review district facility projects, awarded contracts, original project budgets and final project costs from 2014 to the present, to be conducted by the district’s Internal Audit office and returned to the Board for consideration. That motion passed 5–2. Garza said a focused internal review would be a fiscally prudent first step and that any gaps identified could lead to a later decision about an outside forensic engagement.
Trustees debated scope, cost, and timeline. Administration and legal counsel said an internal review would mitigate duplication risk and make it possible to scope any subsequent external engagement, if necessary. The board asked Internal Audit to bring an audit plan and timeline to committee for review.
