Summary#

The Audit Committee carried a decision on May 14, 2026, directing the City Auditor’s Office to begin procuring a resource for an independent review of the office’s work. The committee also recommended keeping the procurement recommendation attachment confidential until a review by June 30, 2027.

• The review, called an External Quality Assessment, must be completed by the second quarter of 2027 under the committee’s existing five-year review requirement.
• City staff say the assessment is meant to check whether the City Auditor’s Office follows professional standards and identify opportunities to improve its audit and advisory services.
• The committee voted 7–0. The materials do not list any members who voted against.

What it means for you#

• City Auditor’s Office: It must start procurement for a resource to complete the assessment. The report says procurement is needed during the latter half of 2026 to support completion on time.
• Calgarians: The decision does not directly change services, taxes, or individual rights. City staff say the assessment is intended to support accountability for public funds and value for money in City operations.
• Public access: The committee recommended that the attachment explaining the procurement recommendation remain confidential, subject to review by June 30, 2027.

Money#

No cost information is in the available material.

• The decision requires the City Auditor’s Office to procure a resource, but gives no estimate of the cost or staffing involved.

What is unclear#

• The attachment with the recommended procurement approach is confidential, so the available material does not show how the resource will be chosen.
• The materials do not say what the assessment will cost, who will conduct it, or how its findings will be shared.
• The committee recommended confidentiality for the attachment; the materials do not explain what information, if any, will be made public after the review date.

Case for#

• City staff say an independent assessment can assure the Audit Committee that the City Auditor’s Office follows professional standards.
• City staff say the review can identify ways to improve audit and advisory services. The existing five-year requirement makes completing the next assessment by Q2 2027 timely.
• The committee’s 7–0 vote shows unanimous support among members voting on this decision.

Case against#

• The procurement approach is in a confidential attachment, limiting what the public can assess about how the resource will be selected.
• The decision requires procurement but gives no cost estimate. Without that information, the public cannot judge the expected expense.