EVERETT – If there’s a dark corner of Snohomish County government that needs investigating, the county’s performance auditor wants to hear about it.
County performance auditor Kymber Waltmunson plans a public forum at 6 tonight to hear ideas.
A public forum helps officials communicate with people about their ideas for audits, Waltmunson said.
“The primary responsibility of the performance auditor is to help government be transparent and accountable, and the only way to do that is to involve the public in the process,” she said.
Snohomish County voters first created the position in 1996 by changing the county charter, which controls how government operates.
The position answers to the county auditor, but a proposed charter amendment before voters would move oversight to the five-member County Council.
Waltmunson has worked two years in the performance auditor position, and in that time, she has reviewed county code enforcement and the Department of Emergency Management, among other departments. She has reviewed public defense, county capital project contracts and county public disclosure requests.
The best audit proposals are proactive and have the potential to save money, she said. Audits that help the most people and reduce government risk also rank high.
A seven-member committee votes on the audits Waltmunson conducts. The five members appointed by County Council members are Paul Blowers of Arlington, Deborah Wright of Everett, Joe Runte of Edmonds, Wayne Kaske of Bothell and Ed Husmann of Sultan.
County Executive Aaron Reardon’s two appointees are Gary Strannigan and Marlies Egberding, both of Everett.
Reporter Jeff Switzer: 425-339-3452 or jswitzer@heraldnet.com.
A public forum on ideas for Snohomish County performance audits is scheduled for 6 tonight on the first floor of the Snohomish County Administration Building, 3000 Rockefeller Ave., Everett. More information about county performance audits is at www.snoco.org. Search for performance auditor.
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