Alton, who won the District 2 seat in November, said it is necessary to remove inconsistencies or vague language from city guidelines, especially with this month’s seating of three new council members and a new mayor.
“Just in case there happens to be any holes in the reporting procedure of expenses and the reimbursement of those expenses, I would like to know - and I believe the council, on behalf of the citizens, would like to know,” he said.
His hope is that the rest of the council will agree and direct staff to draw up plans to hire an independent agency to perform the audit. Alton said he did not know how much an audit could cost.
The councilman said topics of interest could include expense reports, auto and reimbursement policies and use of credit cards - all areas Surprise City Council has faced criticism for in the past. He also said he hopes an audit will align policies for both elected officials and staff, with no special exceptions.
Even without an audit, Alton said he has his own ideas on how to improve city policies. He said he would like to see an official expense report form required for both staff and council. He also suggested the City Council again receive city-issued credit cards, but with a limit of about $500 to $1,000 a month, allowing for small expenditures and items like meal purchases when entertaining relocation prospects.
“We are really gung ho about bringing business in here and getting a good image for the city,” Alton said. “It doesn’t cost a lot to do that.”
In September, the previous City Council eliminated council discretionary funds amid a public outcry over how the money was being spent.
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