Auditor change more perception than procedure

Chattanooga City Councilman Peter Murphy.

Within a month, the city auditor position will become completely independent of the mayor’s administration.

Yet, there won’t be a lot of change.

“Procedurally, what we do won’t change at all,” City Auditor Stan Sewell said. “The biggest change you really have is in appearance.”

A month ago, voters overwhelmingly approved the creation of an independent city auditor position. The referendum changed the City Charter to establish the position, a change Sewell said will become official on Oct. 1.

But immediately after voters approved the measure, some council members wanted to go back and tweak it. Councilman Jack Benson said that a supermajority of the Audit Committee should be needed to oust the auditor, and he called for another referendum.