Audit

UPDATE: Internal audit has a busy schedule

l3wis August 27, 2024 1Comments

UPDATE: This meeting is worth the re-watch. One of the committee members asked why they were NOT auditing the City Attorney’s office, because as he put it, ‘it is on the heat map’ which means it is a critical department to audit because it has been in a long time. So audit chair, councilor David Barranco asked our ONLY internal auditor, Ryan, what the process is to get this audit on the 3 year schedule. Ryan basically said he must put in a request with him and then he would have to amend that schedule and it would have to be amended by the committee at a future meeting. In other words, he wasn’t looking for more work (even though our internal auditor only collects evidence and passes it onto our outside counsel). So Barranco with the urging of another member decided to amend the schedule right there and throw it on the agenda. So with one quick motion and vote it will be included on the audit schedule. It was a good example of government cutting thru the crap and getting something done instead of playing reindeer games.

A lot to accomplish in 3 years when you only have ONE employee . . . oh, and they are using outside sources, because you know, the best way to conduct an INTERNAL audit is to use OUTSIDE sources 🙁

Sioux Falls City Council plans to deconstruct Internal Audit

l3wis June 5, 2023 5Comments

Besides raising utility rates (Items #47-54) and hiring a new city clerk (Item #60) the council is also proposing this (Item #45);

The proposed ordinance removes any mention of an internal audit job title. The proposal also includes language that allows for a co-source internal audit function.

After a brief discussion with the Audit Committee they have decided to move forward with using outside services for Internal Audit. I am adamantly opposed to this. While other communities do this, it is rare. They either have NO internal audit or an actual internal auditing department.

I do understand that every community has to weigh their options when it comes to this department, but we are not making this change because of evidence of improving the system or to save the city money this is being done out of utter laziness of the council. They should do a national search to hire an Internal Audit manager with audit experience and 1-2 more internal auditors. Instead spending the council’s budget on monogram’s shirts (that they wear under their corporate monogram’s black sleeveless puffy vests) they should hire a consultant to provide them applicants. If we got around 200 applicants for city clerk, I would think a national search for auditors would be gang busters!

BTW, the word ‘Internal’ is in the department name!

I have no problem letting outside entities take a peak at the work the internal audit staff is doing, but we should not be jobbing out this important department out of laziness.