Cost estimate for audit by the state to be reviewed by Columbia council

The Columbia government will weigh the cost of having the state auditor review the city’s spending at the upcoming City Council meeting. With a ballpark estimate in hand, the council will decide if the potential price of a citywide audit is worth taxpayer dollars.

City Manager Mike Matthes was directed to obtain a cost estimate last month, which will be presented on Monday. An audit by State Auditor Nicole Galloway could cost the city $500,000 to $750,000 or more. According to the description attached to Monday’s agenda, the audit cost could increase according to “initial survey work” that would be completed by Galloway’s office.

Galloway’s office would need to agree to audit the city’s spending, should the City Council decide to request such a review. The City Council has not extended any request for an audit yet. A citywide audit would take two to three years and would start by early 2019, according to the council memo.

The entire City Council was supportive of obtaining a cost estimate, but the price tag could dissuade council members from the original plan of a citywide audit.

“I don’t think there is any way they’re going to find $750,000 worth of efficiencies,” said Ward Two Council Member Michael Trapp.

Trapp told ABC 17 News that spending what is estimated could contradict the purpose of the audit, which is to show that the government spends its money wisely. “If we spent $750,000 on an audit, it might undermine the public’s sense that we [the Columbia City Council] are good stewards of our money,” Trapp said.

Matt Pitzer, the council member for Ward Five, said he is waiting on more information before making any decision. “The payoff could be more than that, but we have to be mindful of how high we are willing to go,” Pitzer said, “If it were to go above $750,000, I mean, how far do you want to go?”

“It’s not worth it to spend a bunch of money to find out that we’re broke,” Pitzer said. “I think we already know that.”

The city manager is currently coming up with a plan to implement citywide community policing. However multiple City Council members have said that the city will need an additional revenue source, such as a voter-approved property tax raise, in order to pay for such a plan.