Laserfiche WebLink
that saved that city money immediately. She emphasized that the focus of such a position was <br />performance as opposed to monetary savings. She pointed out the auditor would report to the <br />City Council, which was a way of being responsible to the public. Ms. Taylor said the performance <br />auditor would be able to respond to citizen questions about the way things work, and could find <br />ways to improve City operations. If the auditor position was responsible to the City Manager, <br />"there was no point to it at all." The person would feel constrained to give the manager positive <br />reports about issues and personnel. <br /> <br />Ms. Taylor asked Bob Cassidy and Ken Tollenaar of the CCRC why the committee recommended <br />the auditor position. Mr. Cassidy said the key reason was the independence of the position. The <br />CCRC felt the position would have an impact only if independent. He was sure the committee <br />would oppose a motion that modified its recommendation. <br /> <br />Mr. Pap~ asked if the committee's support for the proposal was unanimous. Mr. Cassidy said yes. <br /> <br />Mr. Pap~ thought the council should ask the voters if they supported an audit position. He hoped <br />the council put something on the ballot. He was concerned, however, about hiring a full-time <br />auditor to assist the council, which was not a full-time body. Mr. Pap~ was also concerned about <br />the impact on the council/manager form of government of having someone with independent <br />authority, and suggested having the auditor report to the audit committee. <br /> <br />Mr. Kelly believed that there was great value to having an independent auditor because it <br />promoted transparency, openness, and integrity in municipal government. He thought the <br />philosophical and psychological benefits worth the cost of the position. It could help demonstrate <br />that the council could be efficient and accountable prior to requesting tax increases from the <br />citizens. <br /> <br />Mr. Kelly did not think the manager's proposal worth referring to the voters as it could happen now <br />without charter authority. He emphasized the importance of the position's independence. <br /> <br />Speaking to Mr. Meisner, Mr. Kelly confirmed that the auditor was in the committee's original <br />charge from the council. <br /> <br />Mr. Kelly quoted from correspondence from the General Accounting Office in Appendix M of the <br />final report of the CCRC regarding the need for local government to take steps that ensure an <br />auditor was independent and free from organizational impairment. <br /> <br />Mr. Kelly believed there were jurisdictions where the concept worked well and others where it did <br />not, and suggested that the council not attempt to generalize from the experience of individual <br />communities. <br /> <br />Mr. Kelly said the CCRC recommended the audit committee as a way to more closely involve the <br />City Manager with the operations of the city auditor. He said that the budget proposal for a <br />temporary audit was a very different thing from a charter-established, ongoing employee <br />appointed by the council. <br /> <br />Mr. Fart was specifically concerned about an auditor appointed by the council as he feared that it <br />would become a political position. He did not want to see a council majority dictating the day-to- <br /> <br /> MINUTES--Eugene City Council July 10, 2002 Page 4 <br /> Work Session <br /> <br /> <br />