Milton council moves to solicit forensic/operational audit quotes after reconciliation concerns

Council members directed staff to request quotes from three firms for a forensic and operational audit after the city's independent audit identified prolonged reconciliation delays covering Oct. 1, 2024–Sept. 30, 2025. Members emphasized the need for an arm’s-length, independent review that explains both whether funds were misappropriated (forensic) and why reconciliation processes failed (operational/internal controls).

"We want somebody looking in from the outside," Councilmember McKee said during debate, arguing the council should define a scope that includes internal controls and operational review. Council agreed to ask CRI, Raymond (Rehmann), and Bailey to provide quotes based on a scope the council will refine at the Sept. 17 workshop; staff will then solicit proposals and return to council for a final selection. Several councilmembers recommended keeping staff involvement limited while drafting the scope to preserve independence.

Council also discussed the practicalities of scope and budget: multiple members favored at least two competing quotes to preserve competitive pricing. The council unanimously approved identifying the three firms for follow-up. Staff and counsel said the scope could reasonably focus on the 2023–24 and 2024–25 fiscal years with follow-up through mid-2026 to understand what changed and which internal controls failed.