Audit committee moves to remove single‑auditor mandate, will refine charge and recommend process to Select Board

The Concord Financial Audit Advisory Committee spent a substantial portion of its June 17 meeting reviewing proposed charter edits and whether the committee should require a single external auditor for town, school and CMLP audits.

Several members, supported by the Light Board representative Chris Schaffner, warned that a single‑auditor requirement can create conflicts or narrow the field of qualified firms. Schaffner told the panel, "having a single auditor was not a great idea," and urged the committee to preserve flexibility so each entity’s audit needs can be met.

Others cautioned that the committee should continue to exercise a strong vetting and recommendation role: members proposed keeping recommendation authority but removing mandatory language that would force a single auditor across all entities. The group discussed using a structured selection process or rubric when recommending firms and suggested an RFP and interviews as part of selection.

The committee chair proposed drafting a short cover memo to the Select Board that will accompany the auditor’s management letter and the town’s response; the chair will circulate a draft and staff were asked to add concrete timelines for remediation items in the management response. Members agreed to meet again in mid‑July to continue charter edits and finalize a letter to the Select Board and the school committee.

The committee also voted to approve an audit committee letter to the school committee with edits to signatory lines; staff will update the date and signatories before submission.

Next steps: the audit committee will refine the charge language, remove the single‑auditor mandate, prepare recommended selection language for use in an RFP or vetting rubric, and circulate the chair’s draft cover memo for the Select Board for review before formal submission.