New county auditor off at a sprint to tackle backlog of issues

The Arlington County government’s new auditor already has something of a full plate.

Wayne Scott was appointed to the post just over two months ago, spending his first month gathering information, meeting with top county staff and coordinating a nine-month work schedule (Oct. 1 to June 30).

“The interim plan will focus on performing audits of Arlington County programs, following up on previously completed audits, and revising internal Office of County Auditor policies and procedures to be consistent with newly revised 2024 government auditing standards,” he told ARLnow.

Programmatic audits will focus on the county government’s housing grants , the STAR paratransit program and whether site-plan conditions on new development provide sufficient community benefits, he said.

An Arlington resident for nearly 30 years, Scott brings with him a substantial background in the auditing profession. When the appointment was made in July, County Board member Maureen Coffey said:

“The Board is confident that Mr. Scott’s wealth of experience, knowledge, and leadership are exactly what is needed to support the development and growth of the County Auditor’s office.”

Coffey and fellow board member Takis Karantonis serve on the county government’s Audit Committee along with county staff and several members of the public. Committee members most recently met Sept. 26, where they formally were introduced to Scott.

The post of auditor is one of the very few in the county government that reports directly to the County Board, not through County Manager Mark Schwartz. Established in 2015 , an act of the General Assembly was needed to create it.

Since its establishment nearly a decade ago, several auditors have come and gone . During the most recent county-government budget process in the spring, county leaders cut some funding for staffing the office, but promised to revisit the matter once a new auditor was in place.