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CONSIDERATION OF ORDINANCE O-2021-6 UPON SECOND AND FINAL READING: AN ORDINANCE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORMAN, OKLAHOMA, ADDING ARTICLE V CREATING THE POSITION OF MUNICIPAL AUDITOR TO BE APPOINTED AND REMOVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL, AND RENUMBERING ARTICLE DESIGNATIONS SET FORTH IN THE CHARTER AFTER ARTICLE V ACCORDINGLY; AND PROVIDING FOR THE SEVERABILITY THEREOF.
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BACKGROUND: In the FYE19 Budget, City Council included funding for a new position of City Auditor and support staff, envisioned to be an independent source of review of City operations and finances to ensure an efficient and economic operation of City government. By Resolution R-1819-66 (as amended), Council appointed a Charter Review Commission to recommend whether language should be added to the Charter "related to the appointment and removal of a City Auditor that would be a full time employee of the City of Norman and appointed and subject to removal by the City Council". The Charter Review Commission discussed this issue at its meeting on September 9, 2019, and unanimously recommended not to add such language to the Charter. Discussions of the Commission seemed to reflect an understanding of the potential need for an internal auditor from time to time but the Commission was unsure whether a full-time position was needed to accomplish this task given the ability of the City to hire independent auditors on an as-needed basis. Ultimately, although added to the FYE2020 budget, the position was not filled because language was not added to the Charter.
During its consideration of the FYE21 budget, Council amended the proposed budget to reduced salaries and benefits in the Police Department General Fund by $245,000 to provide for the implementation of an internal auditor program. A lawsuit was filed related to this and other actions taken during the budget adoption process that seeks to have a Court determine that such funds were reallocated unlawfully (FOP v. City of Norman, Clevela...
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