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The Act 47 Recovery Plan Initiative CA02 requires the City of Reading to establish a process for coordinating and responding to external audits. The City of Reading Audit Committee should facilitate City Council's performance of its oversight role. It should provide independent review of a municipality's financial reporting processes, internal and external audits, formal responses to audits and oversight of City management's actions to achieve compliance. The Committee should ensure that City management properly develop and adhere to standard operating procedures for its fiscal affairs, uphold the integrity of independent external audits, and the objectivity and comprehensiveness of internal audits.
The City of Reading Audit Committee shall be composed of five members comprised of City Clerk, City Auditor, Chair of the Council Finance Committee, or his representative, the Finance Director, and a qualified citizen who is a resident of the City for at least three years, has at least five years of experience in public accounting, finance or budgeting, and is willing to serve a three-year term. The citizen can be selected by Council but will operate as an independent voice on the Committee.
The City of Reading Audit Committee shall be chaired by the City Auditor. Each Committee member will have one equal vote. The Committee shall meet within five business days from the end of each quarter. The City of Reading Audit Committee will:
A. Select the external auditor, in accordance with the City's procurement code. The external auditor shall report its findings to the Audit Committee, and work with the Audit Committee to achieve compliance.
B. Review the City’s financial statements, including all quarterly financial statements produced by the Finance Department for accuracy and completeness, including any adjustments required by the external auditor.
C. Approve the annual work plan of the City Auditor to ensure the audits are timely and constructive.
D. Make a report to Council at the start and end of each fiscal year that details its areas of focus and at the close of each year to describe the Committee's success and challenges.
E. Review all internal audits prepared by the City Elected Auditor.
F. Examine all aspects of the financial reporting process.
G. Provide a statement on whether the City's year-end financials are accurately presented.
The City of Reading City Council hereby empowers the City of Reading Audit Committee to execute its mission by:
A. Providing funding for the engagement and the services of an external auditor and other government financial experts as determined by a majority vote of the Committee;
B. Providing access to the schedule of audits and reports produced by the internal elected auditor;
C. Providing authority to ensure appropriate corrective action is taken by City management in response to the internal and external audits;
D. Providing authority to establish procedures for the confidential receipt, retention and treatment of complaints regarding accounting, internal accounting controls, or auditing matters from City municipal employees;
E. Providing authority to review the financial documents and procedures of all related boards and commissions to ensure accurate financial reporting and make recommendations for improvements to the various financial procedures.
Part 14
Code and License Appeals Board
Code and License Appeals Board
Publisher's Note: This Part has been AMENDED by new legislation (Ord. 35-2022, enacted 4-25-2022). The text of the amendment will be incorporated below when the ordinance is codified.
[Adopted 12-22-2014 by Ord. No. 102-2014]
[Amended 6-26-2017 by Ord. No. 53-2017; 5-19-2020 by Referendum]
A. Membership. The Code and License Appeals Board shall be a body of five members consisting of: the Finance Director or his/her designee who shall serve as Chairperson; a Councilperson from the district the business or property is located in or the designee of the President of Council if the District Councilor is unavailable, a member of the business community; a resident at large; and member of a recognized City of Reading community group.
B. Alternates. There shall be three alternate members one each from the following groups: a member of the business community, a resident at large and a member of a community group recognized by the City of Reading.
C. Appointment. The member of the business community and the alternate from the business community shall be appointed by the Mayor without confirmation of Council and the remaining members and alternates shall be appointed by Council.
D. Term.
(1) A member or alternate member shall serve a term of three years from the time of appointment or reappointment or until his/her successor shall take office. Members and alternates of the initial Board shall be appointed to staggered terms of one, two and three years. Members may be appointed to serve successive terms.
(2) Removal of members. Any member may be removed for misconduct or neglect of duty or for other just cause by a majority vote of Council taken after the member has received 15 days’ advance notice of the intent to take such vote. Failure of a member to attend three consecutive regular meetings of the Board will constitute grounds for immediate removal from the Board by City Council. Failure of a member to attend at least 50% of the regular meetings of the Board in a calendar year will constitute grounds for immediate removal from the Board by City Council. The Chairperson of the Board shall inform the City Clerk in writing when a member has failed to comply with this attendance policy. Following such notification, City Council may vote to remove the member and seek applicants to fill the vacant position.
(3) Designees and alternate members may be requested to attend meetings in absence of a regular member and shall have all the powers of a regular member at such meetings.
E. Quorum and majority vote. Three members shall constitute a quorum of the Board. A majority vote of the members of the quorum of the Board shall prevail. A tie vote shall be deemed as a denial of the appeal.
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