(KCPW News) A bill that could stop a lawsuit Salt Lake County Auditor Greg Hawkins has filed against Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon and the county council dead in its tracks cleared a Senate committee yesterday.  The bill’s sponsor, Senator Curt Bramble, says it will more clearly define an auditor’s duties.
“That term auditor has evolved as it relates to the County Auditor position,” said Bramble. “This is moving more in the direction of the county auditor being a check and balance, and more involved in the oversight function, than the detail function of bookkeeping.”
Hawkins is suing the mayor and council over Corroon’s plan to shift certain accounting and budgeting functions from his office to Corroon’s. Salt Lake County Councilman Michael Jensen told the committee the bill will help the county with the current litigation.
“Part of the litigation asks the court to look at the statute and give clarification, and define better, what the statute is. The council and the mayor have taken a position that we would rather have the legislature do that than have the courts,” said Jensen.
The bill was unanimously approved by the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee.
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It’s also worth noting the auditor is 0-5 in court and these lawsuits are costing taxpayers a fair amount of cash.