Okaloosa County has hired Carr, Riggs & Ingram to be the county’s internal auditor.
The board recently approved a $30,000 contract with the accounting firm.
“We liked them because they are local,” County Commissioner Kelly Windes said Thursday. “They had the best price and they have plenty of experience.”
Windes sat on the committee that recommended the firm from a pool of three companies. He proposed the idea of an internal auditor a few weeks after he took office last fall in direct response to the fraud scandal concocted by former tourism head Mark Bellinger.
“I think more oversight is necessary,” Windes said. “I don’t know how long it’s going to be necessary, but oversight has been lacking and we’ve just got to shore it up.”
Under the contract, one of the company’s main duties will be to conduct a countywide fraud risk assessment. The firm also will work with the county administrator and commissioners to prioritize the county departments to be examined.
“This position will not have any auditing authority over another constitutional office and will be solely dedicated to the Board of County Commissioners and the county departments under their direct oversight,” County Administrator Jim Curry said in an email to the Daily News.
The overall purpose is to continuously “minimize the potential for fraud,” he said.
“Certainly, if you can prevent a fraud from occurring, you’re ahead financially. … Prevention is key,” Curry said.
Windes said he likes knowing the board has the ability to scrutinize an area if it has “any kind of uneasiness” about any department.
“They’ll be working at the board’s direction and we can send them anywhere — the enterprise funds, anything but the constitutional officers,” he said. “I think since we’ve got a new airport director coming, they could spend some time at the airport.”
Curry said Carr. Riggs & Ingram is expected to start its auditing services within the next 30 days.
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Kari Barlow at 850-315-4438 or kbarlow@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @KariBnwfdn.