None of the 11 firms asked to bid on auditing Tulsa County jail’s daily inmate cost want the job.
County Commissioner John Smaligo said the backup plan is asking the state auditor’s office to do it.
"The downside to that is that the auditor's office has indicated that if we were to hire them to do this, it could be as long as three months before they are able to begin the audit, and then it could take them as long as two months to complete the audit," Smaligo said.
One firm determined last month the daily cost per bed is $64.23. The figure will be used to negotiate a new payment agreement with the City of Tulsa, which doesn’t have a municipal jail.
"And, of course, checking the accuracy of the numbers is absolutely vital to make sure that one, the City of Tulsa is paying enough, and also to make sure that the City of Tulsa is not paying too much," Smaligo said.
The current city-county agreement expires next month.
