City will consider hiring new auditor

Boulder City is in the process of getting a new auditor, as the audit review committee is recommending City Council approve an agreement with HintonBurdick CPAs & Advisors.

At the Audit Review Committee meeting Tuesday, April 3, Finance Director Diane Pelletier said that when she started work in January, Scott Hansen, the acting city manager at the time, directed her to issue a request for proposals for a new auditor.

Piercy Bowler Taylor & Kern has been the city’s auditor for six years and was entering its second option year.

Pelletier said she and the city’s chief accountant, Doug Honey, each went through the list of possible new auditors on their own and then discussed their top choices.

HintonBurdick was one of their top choices and had excellent references, according to Pelletier.

Both Honey and Pelletier said they were pleased with the company and thought it would work well with the city and provide what it needs.

The firm has several locations throughout Nevada, Arizona and Utah.

Their price of $59,000 was the “middle of the road” with the other submitted proposals.

Pelletier said that in the interview process, she made it clear to the firm that the city had to be one of its top priorities, and they had no problem with that.

That was one of the key factors in selecting an new auditor.

Committee member Kiernan McManus asked whether the new firm would have any problems inputting the city’s data in its system.

“They pretty much assured us there would be no problem with that,” Pelletier said.

Committee member Ross Wright expressed concern because in the past the audit firm prepared the financial report rather than the city.

“They don’t prepare all of it,” Pelletier replied. “Doug Honey prepared sections of it. … They will probably do more … (but) not as much last time. … I don’t see them doing the entire report for us.”

The committee unanimously approved recommending the five-year agreement with HintonBurdick to the City Council, which will discuss it at Tuesday’s, April 10, meeting. After the five years, there is an option to continue it a year at a time, up to two years.

Pelletier said that in addition to meeting with the new auditor and setting up a schedule, the firm will meet with the previous auditor to help the transition.

Contact reporter Celia Shortt Goodyear at cgoodyear@bouldercityreview.com or at 702-586-9401. Follow her on Twitter @csgoodyear.