Qualifications of New City Auditor Questioned

Qualifications of New City Auditor Questioned

He is the official charged with reviewing and evaluating department budgets in Providence, but the new Internal Auditor, Matthew Clarkin, is not a certified public accountant.

Being a certified public accountant is listed as a qualification in the city charter—but the law gives the Providence City Council some wiggle room by allowing it to appoint someone to the position with equivalent experience, according to several councilmen who spoke with GoLocalProv.

The charter stipulates the qualifications as follows:

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The city council by a majority of all its members shall appoint a city internal auditor who shall be a certified public accountant who shall have a minimum of five (5) years’ experience in finance, operational auditing or equivalent training or experience. The city internal auditor shall have access to the books and records of all offices, departments and other agencies of the city, and it shall be the duty of all officers and employees thereof to supply such information and documents concerning the affairs of the city as the internal auditor may request. [emphasis added]

Council President Michael Solomon confirmed that Clarkin, who is currently the CFO for the Providence School Department, does not have a CPA. His predecessor, James Lombardi, did have a CPA. But Solomon said Clarkin’s experience in finance-related positions for the city and school department more than qualify him for the position. “He is well versed on the city’s finances. He’s an excellent fit for the position,” said Solomon, D-Ward 5. “This guy’s more than competent. It’s not like he just came off the banana boat and is going to handle the city finances.”

‘The CPA is not a prerequisite’

Asked if he sought a legal opinion to clarify the charter’s language, Solomon said he consulted with Councilman Seth Yurdin, D-Ward 1, who is an attorney. Yurdin told GoLocalProv that the charter does not mandate a CPA, pointing to the clause that allows an appointee to have “equivalent training or experience.”

“The CPA is not put forward as a qualification,” said Yurdin, who is the Majority Leader. “The fact that the CPA is not a prerequisite for being Internal Auditor speaks for itself.”

Nearly two decades of experience in city government

Like Solomon, Yurdin pointed to Clarkin’s extensive experience in city finances—which spans nearly two decades. Clarkin got his start in Providence as the Supervisor of Purchasing, a position he held from 1991 to 1997.

From there, he went on to become the Budget Analyst from 1997 to 2006 and the Deputy Finance Director from October 2006 to December 2010, according to his official resume. During some of those years, he also served as the acting tax collector. His resume shows that he took the CFO position with the School Department earlier this month.

“I don’t think there’s anybody who has more understanding of city finances than he does,” Yurdin said. “There isn’t a concern that Matt Clarkin is not a CPA. The fact is that he has the experience with these budgets to be an excellent Internal Auditor.”

His highest level of education, according to his resume, is a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Bryant University. His major was in finance.

Clarkin did not respond to a request for comment.

Editor's Note: To read the relevant portion of the charter online, click here. Go to Article IV City Council, scroll down to the section that deals with the Internal Auditor.