The Surprise City Council will vote Tuesday on whether to strengthen its internal auditing program.
One ordinance protects the internal auditor’s independence, and guarantees them access to city records. The other creates an oversight committee of residents, staff and elected officials.
This spring, authorities accused a former city revenue manager of stealing at least $836,000 over seven years.
There weren’t enough checks and balances when the former revenue manager allegedly stole cash from bank deposits and replaced it with checks made out to the city, said Councilman Roland Winters Jr.
“This should give our voters and our residents of Surprise a feeling of being very confident that the people who work for the city, and the elected officials, are in the up and up,” Winters said.
Winters is a member of the oversight committee, which he said has already held preliminary meetings.
The former revenue manager is scheduled to stand trial in February.
