For months, the City of Hoover has attempted to hide the details of its ongoing forensic audit while evading questions about its annual audit. At the August 05, 2024 city council meeting, Mayor Frank Brocato read a statement about the status of the two audits.
The forensic audit was first reported only after it came up during an unrelated hearing.
Since then, Alabama Today has published the letter below, sent from City Council President John Lyda, alerting fellow council members of the specific firm and the need for the audit.
The mayor’s update at the last city council meeting was the first time the city acknowledged, since Councilwoman Khristi Driver’s brief comments, that a forensic audit was underway.
Questions remain as to the cost and how that cost will be paid. According to Lyda, the estimated cost was between $145k and $177k. However, that was with a 60-90-day project. Brocato stated at last week’s meeting that the audit began in late April and has been ongoing, meaning it took over the estimated 90 days.
On the one hand, the mayor sought to downplay the need for the forensic audit, saying that under his watch, the city has “consistently received clean audit opinions.” On the other hand, the mayor stressed that there were concerns so worthwhile that the city brought in the additional accounting firm and that the current CFO, Jennifer Cornett, and her team continue to address the problems. The Mayor explained, “several of them have already been addressed. Mrs. Cornett and her staff are working long hours to correct the others.”
The mayor explained that the city was performing the audit through its attorneys to maintain attorney-client privilege. However, no attorneys were copied on internal emails between council members related to the audit.
Sources tell Alabama Today that the annual audit will be released as soon as this week. We will follow up with more developments.
