SOLVANG The Solvang City Council is hiring a special city auditor to look into funds provided to the Solvang Conference and Visitors Bureau, the city announced in a Tuesday news release.
That comes as the City Council is negotiating the extension of funding for the Visitor’s Bureau. The extension would last six months, which covers Solvang’s Julefest from Nov. 29 through Jan. 5, according to the news release.
At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, the SCVB representative, Jessy Verkler, raised concerns ” that the version of the contract published in the agenda packet did not match the version their board had considered,” according to the news release.
The SCVB and the City Council disagreed over language in the contract, leading the council to table the matter and continue negotiations.
In addition, the council had questions about “prior fiscal oversight of funds provided to the CVB” which led to the request for a special city auditor, Thomas Widroe, to “look into the matter.”
Mr. Widroe’s contract with the city was finalized at Tuesday’s council meeting. His duties include a financial audit reviewing city’s operations, according to the news release.
City Manager David Gassaway was not available for comment Wednesday.
