Council debates auditor appointment as residents press for completed financial audit

A routine recommendation to extend the contract with RSM US LLP for Danbury27s fiscal-year audit drew fresh scrutiny May 7 as council members questioned cost, timeliness and the city27s ability to vet alternatives.

Director of Finance Dan Garrick recommended extending RSM27s contract to complete the FY2023-24 audit; he told the council auditors had returned a draft of the 2022 audit and were adding staff to meet a May 31 completion target. "They've committed to finalizing the audit," Garrick said.

But Councilman Fox urged more transparency and competition, noting the city has paid six-figure sums to the firm over several years and that the council had little time to debate the appointment before a June 1 statutory approval deadline. "We really haven't had a public discussion about whether we're looking at this the right way," Fox said as he moved to send the matter to an ad hoc committee to include finance, the mayor27s office, corporation counsel and an audit-committee representative.

Multiple residents in public comment had earlier urged the council not to approve a budget while audits remained incomplete. Warren Levy told the council he wanted to see "every dollar" accounted for and warned that promises of an audit had been delayed repeatedly.

Council voted to send the auditor appointment to an ad hoc committee, which the mayor said would meet quickly because the council must name auditors by June 1. The finance director told members the firm had provided a draft and that the office is pursuing efficiencies for completing the 2023 and 2024 audits.

The ad hoc referral does not immediately change the auditors' work on existing drafts but signals the council27s desire for a public review of the contracting process and fees before committing to another multi-year extension.