City looking at monitoring management

With their internal auditor leaving, Carson City supervisors are considering hiring an outside auditing firm to monitor not only fiscal issues but the city's management practices as well.

Internal Auditor Gary Kulikowski is resigning from the city for a position with the audit division of the Legislative Counsel Bureau, leaving city supervisors without their only independent eyes and ears into city operations.

Supervisor Richard Staub suggested during his 2000 election campaign the city should consider an audit of its management functions to make sure it's operating at peak efficiency.

Mayor Ray Masayko said Thursday this time without an auditor may present an opportunity to look into a new way of doing business.

"Maybe we have a unique opportunity with the transition to look at a process that would provide the opportunity for management audits," Masayko said. "If (private business claims) to be able to cut 25 percent, surely an auditor can cut 3 percent. Perhaps we have an opportunity to become more efficient than we are now."

Staub said he thinks the city needs to "kick up this function a few notches." Government employees tend to do a job as they were trained. The training is passed down from generation to generation, but "Is the way you did it or your predecessor did it the right way to do it?"

"Is it the most cost effective way to do it?" Staub asked.

Masayko said while the city may recruit a new auditor, at a minimum a firm would have to provide someone who could carry out the supervisors' tasks

Staub and Supervisor Pete Livermore will examine over the next 30 days if hiring an outside firm for to fill the city's audit function makes sense.

The internal auditor is the only city employee who is not under the administration of City Manager John Berkich and reports directly to the Board of Supervisors. The auditor reports on policies, procedures and finance issues and special assignments from supervisors.