Commission delays some auditor‑office changes, approves termination of listed grant admin positions

A state‑auditor memo and an internal review prompted commissioners to revisit internal control and separation‑of‑duty issues across departments. The board discussed whether administrative employees who now perform functions that affect the general ledger should be moved under the county auditor’s reporting domain to ensure accurate, GAAP‑aligned financial reporting.

Calvin Bergman, Clerk‑Auditor, presented a fraud risk assessment and recommended establishing an audit committee and annual ethics and training steps for governing‑body members. Commissioners and affected department heads discussed a phased approach: engage consultants to audit department functions, determine which reporting elements should be moved to the auditor’s office, and identify staffing needs.

Commissioners voted to strike item 38 (pending a consultant audit and further departmental discussions) and to approve item 39, which terminates listed grant administrative appointments effective March 1, 2023; that vote passed 2–1. Several commissioners emphasized that the move would be implemented with attention to staffing continuity and pledged to provide administrative resources to affected departments during the transition.

The board directed HR and finance to have outside consultants review the positions and to return with a staffing plan and timeline so departments can maintain operations while ensuring the county meets auditing standards.