Audit panel to consider changes for new city post

Erin Neff

Tuesday, March 16, 1999 | 10:44 a.m.

After a three-month hiatus, the Las Vegas Audit Oversight Committee will have four audits, a key hiring and plenty of procedural changes to consider when it meets Friday.

It's been a full year since former city auditor Susan Toohey was fired without explanation -- leaving a vacancy in the post and leading to creation of the Audit Oversight Committee.

On Friday the committee will discuss how the search for Toohey's replacement is progressing. Because of the firestorm of controversy that erupted over Toohey's firing and subsequent $2.8 million wrongful termination lawsuit, the committee has changed the job qualifications and salary for the position.

The upgraded job description requires 10 years of increasingly responsible experience in auditing, including five years of audit management responsibility. The candidate must also possess Certified Public Accountant or Certified Internal Auditor certification.

The auditor will be expected to establish internal controls of both accounting and administrative functions and will serve as the liaison with the city's external auditors.

The pay scale for the position was changed by the City Council from a range of $59,194 to $98,658 to a range of $66,000 to $110,000. Mayor Jan Laverty Jones, who sits on the audit committee, said the higher salary would help attract candidates with more experience.

The committee will also discuss a proposed amendment to the city charter -- a change that would allow the committee, not the city manager -- to hire the next city auditor.

Philip Cheng, currently acting city auditor, will submit four audits to the committee for its consideration.

Cheng's office conducted a follow-up audit of federal grants, a special audit of office supplies, an operational audit of the Water Pollution Control Facility supply warehouse inventory, and a city yard analysis.

William Martin, president and chief executive officer of Pioneer Citizens Bank, heads the committee. Other members are certified public accountant Connie Lentz, former City Councilman Scott Higginson, Jones and Mayor Pro Tem Michael McDonald.