Changes coming to Audit & Finance Committee

With the retirement of City Council members Alison Alter and Leslie Pool, who served as the chair and vice chair, respectively, of the Council Audit & Finance Committee, as well as Council Member Mackenzie Kelly, who served on the committee, Mayor Kirk Watson has announced that he would like to serve as chair of that important committee. That announcement tops a long discussion of committees on the City Council Message Board.

Council Member Ryan Alter and Mayor Pro Tem Vanessa Fuentes have each served on the committee for the past two years and both indicated in their online posts an interest in continuing on the committee. Alter indicated he would like to be vice chair and that seems likely to happen.

Watson’s post on the message board also indicates that the committee should include Council Member Chito Vela and one of the new members of Council – either Mike Siegel or Krista Laine. Both of them wrote on the message board that they hope to join the committee. Vela also indicated in a post that he would like to join Audit & Finance. District 10 Council Member Marc Duchen has not indicated yet which committees he would like to join, but he campaigned on regular audits of city spending.

City code dictates that the city manager assign liaisons to each committee. Watson wrote that he has “been working with the Manager and he has indicated he would have the Deputy City Manager, Assistant City Managers and the Chief Financial Officer serve as liaisons.” Chief Financial Officer Ed Van Eenoo will fill that role for Audit & Finance, Watson wrote. This is a major change for the committee and fits in with Watson’s plan to concentrate more time and attention on the financial side of things.

Most of the Audit & Finance Committee’s work has related to audits carried out by the city auditor and her team. Some of those audits revealed needed changes to city procedures and others related to alleged wrongdoing by city employees. Those audits will continue, but there will likely be a much greater emphasis on city finances.

Watson wrote, “I recommend that the Audit & Finance Committee engage in a more systematic, routine, ongoing analysis of the city’s financial condition, not just when we are faced with critical decisions during the budget process. The committee would also continue with its audit oversight function.” The mayor said he would like to know what everyone wants before the Jan. 28 work session and would have a new ordinance for Council’s approval on Jan. 30.

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