Alaska audit panel approves $170,000, one-year extension for CliftonLarsonAllen federal audit work

The Legislative Budget and Audit Committee on March 17 approved a one-year, $170,000 extension to its federal compliance audit services contract with CliftonLarsonAllen, bringing the contract ceiling to a total not to exceed $395,000. The motion to approve came from Vice Chair Representative Fields and passed by unanimous consent.

State Legislative Auditor Chris Curtis explained the renewal during discussion, saying the contracted work covers two major federal programs for fiscal year 2026 and that the committee’s prior FY25 contract had called for a different not-to-exceed figure than a procurement memo had reported. "The memo I sent you had an error in it," Curtis told the committee, clarifying that a line in the earlier memo listed $223,000 but the motion at that time was for $225,000. She said the underlying RFP allowed a one-year extension and that the FY26 request is for $170,000.

Curtis said the department’s staffing has improved and the office expects to reduce reliance on outside contractors going forward: "We do not anticipate coming to the committee to ask for assistance for FY '27," she said. Curtis also said the agency can absorb the extension in its current budget: "We do have ability in our budget to absorb this contract."

The panel’s approval authorizes the use of existing funds to pay the extension. No roll-call vote was recorded; the committee approved the motion by unanimous consent.

The committee took the action as part of its regularly scheduled meeting; committee leadership noted the room was needed by the Senate Finance Committee later in the morning.