Martinsville Mayor L.C. Jones said Tuesday that the forensic audit into the city’s spending has been completed.
In a late afternoon email, Jones wrote, “I have received communications from Brown Edwards that the forensic audit is finally complete.”
Brown Edwards is a certified public accounting firm with offices in Roanoke and a dozen other locales, including Bristol, Lynchburg and Richmond. The city hired it to conduct the forensic audit at a cost of $20,000.
Jones shared with Cardinal News an email he sent to Brown Edwards partner Chris Banta in which he said that the auditing process was not as transparent as he would have liked.
“As you are aware, the council, myself included, has been kept uninformed throughout the process, which has been a concern for me,” Jones wrote in the Tuesday email to Banta, who Jones described as having “oversight” over the audit. “Your invoice for $20,000 is the first communication we’ve received from Brown & Edwards since we, following Sands Anderson’s legal advice, engaged your firm in August.”
Sands Anderson is the Richmond-based law firm currently representing Martinsville.
The city council hasn’t announced if it will review the audit in a closed or special session prior to its upcoming regular session on Jan. 13.
In an email Tuesday to Cardinal News, council member Aaron Rawls said that the city council has not received the audit. He added that he thought it wouldn’t be ready for council review until next month.
Jones’ message to Banta suggests councilors could review the audit as early as next week.
“Could you please clarify the actions taken and the reason for the process taking this length of time?” Jones wrote to Banta. “Most importantly, now that the audit is finished, I would expect you to confirm that the report will be available for the Council to review next week, if not sooner.”
Jones’ message to Banta cites “tension” within the Martinsville community in the five months since the city council commissioned the forensic audit at its July 23 meeting. Concerns over the city’s spending under then-City Manager Aretha Ferrell-Benavides prompted the audit.
During that July 23 meeting, the city council voted to place Ferrell-Benavides on administrative leave. Following its Aug. 7 closed session, the council voted to fire her, with cause. Officials have remained silent on the specific reasons behind her firing.
“Sands Anderson and others have been making various claims and charges, which they assert will be substantiated by your audit findings,” Jones wrote to Banta. “Their claims have significantly contributed to heightened tensions within our community. With the audit now complete, I see no justification for delaying its presentation to the Council. I trust you will facilitate this promptly.”