Windsor City Council is expected to discuss whether to hire an auditor general -- again.
The issue has raised its head from time to time over the past 11 years since council opted to contract that work out to Pricewaterhouse Coopers in 2012.
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Ward 10 Councillor Jim Morrison ran during the last election on a promise to fight to bring an independent auditor general back to city hall, but a report by city staff does not appear to support his position.
"It is administration's opinion that PwC has been highly productive and diligent," read the report. "The service has served the city's needs very well, and the city has received independent auditing services of excellent value since the outsourcing was initiated -- It is administration's strong opinion that professional accounting/auditing firms bring a breadth of knowledge and access to specialized services to the function that cannot be achieved on a cost-effective basis with dedicated internal city resources."
Morrison, whose background is in banking, is not fazed by the report. He asked for it back in February.
He said there are advantages to hiring an auditor general that the city will not have with a contracted out service.
"Complete independence, free, unfettered access of all records, and the ability to examine individuals under oath," he explained. "It's just another level of transparency and accountability that an internal auditor can not really deliver. We tell an internal auditor what to look at."
As for how the debate will go Monday night, Morrison said he has spoken to some of his colleagues on council, and the discussion should be lively.
"I believe that things have shifted," he said, admitting he was not happy with the last vote on the issue in 2015. "I don't have a full confidence that we will institute an auditor general, but I really actually think something will happen this time. I would certainly like to put this thing to bed."
