“Let’s quit Mickey Mousing around,” said Yarbrough. “We’ve dragged them (CDPA) long enough. We told them they had the job, then we rescinded it.”

Sneed asked the board if he could “speak candidly” and Yarbrough encouraged him to go ahead.

“We paid $60,000 last year for an audit, which is way above what we should have paid,” said Sneed. “It doesn’t do any harm to rotate out or have new auditors. There’s nothing wrong with CDPA. Just because they’ve always done it is no reason to have them do it this time.”

Sneed spoke of “tension” between CDPA and the comptroller.

“There is always tension between the auditor and comptroller,” said Yarbrough.

Robinson moved to table the recommendation, but his motion failed for lack of a second. Board member Paul Wilson moved to hire CDPA because they were the lowest price while still meeting the requirement of at least 10 year’s experience in utility auditing. Yarbrough seconded the motion. The measure passed on a 4-to-1 vote, with Robinson casting the sole dissenting vote.

Cooper predicted when he gave his financial report that the first bond test at the end of the year would show a $100,000 deficit and the second would pass.