Fishers City Attorney Chris Greisl told city council members Wednesday night that the Indiana State Board of Accounts has been complaining to lawmakers it no longer has the staff or budget to audit all government entities every year.  As a result, many local government entities are taking advantage of a state law allowing the hiring of private accounting firms to conduct the annual audits previously handled by state auditors.

City Controller Oscar Gutierrez told the council a private firm could provide annual audits that would provide different skill sets and knowledge base than the State Board of Accounts.

The city would need to receive state approval to do this, but Greisl assured councilors Fishers will follow the state statute to the letter, assuring approval.

Council members voted unanimously to “opt out” of the State Board of Accounts audits and hire a private auditing firm.  Then the council gave unanimous approval of BKD as that auditing firm.

BKD had been recommended as the firm to conduct city audits by the city’s 3-member Audit Committee, appointed by the council and Mayor Scott Fadness.  Council President John Weingardt (a CPA) and Council Member Eric Moeller (who works in the financial field) are both appointees to the Audit Committee.