The city of Seal Beach has a new auditor.
On Monday, April 26, the City Council voted to hire Lance, Soll, and Lundhard, LLP as the city’s new auditing firm.
The decision effectively ends Seal Beach’s business relationship with Mayer Hoffman McCann, the firm that audited the city of Bell’s finances yet failed to catch what turned out to be a pattern of financial corruption.
The Sun reported that Seal Beach had the same auditing firm as Bell in the Thursday, Jan. 6 issue.
In that same issue, resident/activist Robert Goldberg recommended that the council consider hiring another auditing firm.
At the time, then City Manager David Carmany said he would not recommend ending the city’s relationship with Mayer Hoffman McCann, citing the city’s contract with the firm.
The council’s April 26 decision to hire a different auditor was part of the consent calendar. Items on the consent calendar are approved without discussion.
“The city of Seal Beach is required to have an audit of their financial records completed each year,” wrote Robbeyn Bird, director of Administrative Services, in her staff report to the council.
“It is city practice to go out for bid for these services every three to five years,” Bird wrote.
Five firms bid to provide auditing services for the fiscal years 2010-11 through 2012-13.
Their contract with the city will begin with the end of the fiscal year on June 30.
The cost to hiring the firm will be $44,985 for each of the next three fiscal years.
