Mayor Jerry Sanders is recommending that internal auditor Eduardo Luna be appointed city auditor in accordance with the recently approved Proposition C, which changed the city’s internal audit process.
The Tuesday memo from Chief Operating Officer Jay Goldstone to members of the city’s Audit Committee touted Luna’s 18 years of experience. The memo also recommended that the mayor, consulting with the Audit Committee, negotiate the “terms and conditions” of a contract with Luna.
But Independent Budget Analyst Andrea Tevlin flagged that recommendation as inconsistent with Prop. C, which specifies that the auditor will report to the Audit Committee instead of the mayor and can only be removed by the City Council. Tevlin suggested the council president or Audit Committee chairman, Kevin Faulconer, be responsible for negotiating a salary and terms.
Mayoral spokeswoman Rachel Laing said that recommendation in Goldstone’s memo was a mistake. She said Goldstone will make clear to council members that the Mayor’s Office won’t be involved in negotiating Luna’s salary and contract if he’s picked as auditor.
Tevlin’s report also recommends that the Audit Committee develop a procedure before considering Luna’s application. The committee is set to discuss the process for picking a city auditor Monday.