MONROE - The phrase "forensic audit" created an "illusion of suspicion" when it appeared on a city finance meeting agenda this week.
That's the assessment of Reid Stangel, a member of the city's Finance and Taxation committee, regarding confusion over the item on the agenda for Tuesday's committee meeting.
The word forensic, as it relates to an auditing term, Stangel said, is a specific look into a person or specific problem in the financial books, and "costs thousands and thousands of dollars."
He wanted to strike the word from the agenda, "because of what it implies and what it would cost."
But Michael Boyce, Ward 3 alderman, said his intention for requesting the agenda item for discussion, "engaging current auditors to perform a forensic audit," was far from what was being inferred.
Boyce said he was asking the committee to consider implementing a more detailed look and "an in-depth discussion" with the city's auditors, Reffue, Pas, Jacobson & Koster, about the auditing process, in an effort to prepare council members about how an audit is conducted before the city began setting the next budget this fall.
"It would help us all up the learning curve faster," he added.
Cathy Maurer, treasurer and comptroller, said the auditing firm will go over the annual audit for the council members, if requested, and the cost of review services is included in their fees.
Boyce said his suggestion of a more in-depth discussion, or a series of information sessions, could fall outside the firm's intended scope of review services and create an additional cost. But the sessions would give the auditors a chance to explain what they do and let council members and the public know what they look for during the auditing process, he added.
"We have never been given this information," Boyce said.
While having an in-depth discussion about the auditing process is far from suggesting the city perform an audit to investigate potential wrong-doing, the inference apparently spread hotly around the city.
Many of the 30 attendees at the committee meeting were department heads and city accounting department employees. But citizens filled half of the chairs in the council chamber - not just regular citizens, but elected and appointed members of boards, such as the airport board of management, Business Improvement District board and the board of county supervisors.
Maurer, who just announced March 6 she was retiring after 25 years with the city - the last seven years as both the city treasurer and comptroller - was joined by her family members, who deemed her reputation and integrity were on the line.
Regardless of the intention of the agenda item, Maurer said, she was aware it had created suspicions of her and other city employees' integrity.
"Even the implication, I find offensive," she said.
Reading a statement to the committee and members of the public, Maurer outlined her rise to comptroller over the past 25 years, and her appointments to such boards as the Ethics Board and the Tax Increment Districts Joint Review Board, as well as to committees. She pointed out that her work and that of her department is subject to the city audit annually.
She also noted the suspicions created in the community question the integrity of not only city employees but of her family members as well.
"We are heavily invested in the city of Monroe," Maurer said. "Family roots go deep. Monroe is our home, our community, our life."
Maurer took time to thank and compliment people, especially her co-workers at city hall, but also list the "unfortunate" results of mistrust at city hall: Wasting time and energy, discrediting staff, spoiling the council's reputation, creating negative front page headlines, losing dignity and respect, and more.
"It's time to move on to working as a team," she said. "I think one candidate said it best: People want to hear more from alders and less about alders."
A motion by committee member Chris Beer and seconded by Stangel to strike the entire item from the agenda was determined by the city attorney, Rex Ewald, to be "unnecessary at this time." The committee adjourned with no further discussion or action.
That's the assessment of Reid Stangel, a member of the city's Finance and Taxation committee, regarding confusion over the item on the agenda for Tuesday's committee meeting.
The word forensic, as it relates to an auditing term, Stangel said, is a specific look into a person or specific problem in the financial books, and "costs thousands and thousands of dollars."
He wanted to strike the word from the agenda, "because of what it implies and what it would cost."
But Michael Boyce, Ward 3 alderman, said his intention for requesting the agenda item for discussion, "engaging current auditors to perform a forensic audit," was far from what was being inferred.
Boyce said he was asking the committee to consider implementing a more detailed look and "an in-depth discussion" with the city's auditors, Reffue, Pas, Jacobson & Koster, about the auditing process, in an effort to prepare council members about how an audit is conducted before the city began setting the next budget this fall.
"It would help us all up the learning curve faster," he added.
Cathy Maurer, treasurer and comptroller, said the auditing firm will go over the annual audit for the council members, if requested, and the cost of review services is included in their fees.
Boyce said his suggestion of a more in-depth discussion, or a series of information sessions, could fall outside the firm's intended scope of review services and create an additional cost. But the sessions would give the auditors a chance to explain what they do and let council members and the public know what they look for during the auditing process, he added.
"We have never been given this information," Boyce said.
While having an in-depth discussion about the auditing process is far from suggesting the city perform an audit to investigate potential wrong-doing, the inference apparently spread hotly around the city.
Many of the 30 attendees at the committee meeting were department heads and city accounting department employees. But citizens filled half of the chairs in the council chamber - not just regular citizens, but elected and appointed members of boards, such as the airport board of management, Business Improvement District board and the board of county supervisors.
Maurer, who just announced March 6 she was retiring after 25 years with the city - the last seven years as both the city treasurer and comptroller - was joined by her family members, who deemed her reputation and integrity were on the line.
Regardless of the intention of the agenda item, Maurer said, she was aware it had created suspicions of her and other city employees' integrity.
"Even the implication, I find offensive," she said.
Reading a statement to the committee and members of the public, Maurer outlined her rise to comptroller over the past 25 years, and her appointments to such boards as the Ethics Board and the Tax Increment Districts Joint Review Board, as well as to committees. She pointed out that her work and that of her department is subject to the city audit annually.
She also noted the suspicions created in the community question the integrity of not only city employees but of her family members as well.
"We are heavily invested in the city of Monroe," Maurer said. "Family roots go deep. Monroe is our home, our community, our life."
Maurer took time to thank and compliment people, especially her co-workers at city hall, but also list the "unfortunate" results of mistrust at city hall: Wasting time and energy, discrediting staff, spoiling the council's reputation, creating negative front page headlines, losing dignity and respect, and more.
"It's time to move on to working as a team," she said. "I think one candidate said it best: People want to hear more from alders and less about alders."
A motion by committee member Chris Beer and seconded by Stangel to strike the entire item from the agenda was determined by the city attorney, Rex Ewald, to be "unnecessary at this time." The committee adjourned with no further discussion or action.