Lee County Clerk and Comptroller Kevin Karnes has announced the completion of an audit consulting project for the School District of Lee County.

Several months ago, the School Board of Lee County requested a one-time audit consulting project to be conducted by the Clerk’s peer-reviewed Inspector General Department. The project was limited to a review of the School District’s Internal Audit Department’s internal controls, which includes the organizational structures, staffing levels, policies, procedures and practices.

As Lee County’s Comptroller, Karnes serves as the county’s auditor, recorder and custodian of funds. A very important part of this role is the auditor function, which the Clerk aims to grow over the coming years.

The focus of this audit consulting project for the School District – and all internal audits conducted by the Clerk’s office – is to provide independent observations and value-added recommendations and to strengthen operational policies, procedures and practices.

The audit authority of the Clerk is different from that of an external auditor. An external auditor would be hired to audit the finances of an organization. An internal audit, which would be conducted by the Clerk’s Inspector General Department, would audit the processes and procedures.

“Internal audits enhance public trust, protect taxpayer funds and ensure the audit client is holding themselves accountable to their practices, policies and procedures,” Karnes said. “They also provide assurance that management has internal controls in place to lessen the risk of fraud, waste and abuse. I look forward to partnering with the county’s constitutional offices and the Board of County Commissioners to determine future audit partnerships.”

“As stewards of our community’s trust, it is critical to our fiduciary and legal responsibility that the School Board maintain strong internal controls of our financial operations,” said School Board Chair Sam Fisher. “We are truly grateful to Lee County Clerk Kevin Karnes and his team for conducting an independent review of our Internal Audit Department. We are confident that this review will strengthen our operations, promote transparency, and uphold the trust that our community places in us.”

The School District audit consulting project’s recommendations have been shared with the organization and School Board for their review and possible implementation.

The limited scope audit consulting project was conducted at no-cost to the School District.

You can read the full report and recommendations at leeclerk.org/SD.

About the Clerk’s Office

The Florida Constitution established the Clerk of the Circuit Court as a public trustee, responsible for safeguarding public records and public funds. Clerk Kevin Karnes is directly elected by and accountable to Lee County residents. In addition to the role of Clerk of the Circuit Court, the Clerk is the County Recorder and Clerk of the Board of County Commissioners, and the Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Auditor for Lee County.