In a statement released this afternoon, the Falls Church City Council has announced its plans to retain an “outside expert on municipal finance and governance” to provide “an independent assessment of the City’s financial policy procedures and practices.”

According to the statement, the Council “is seeking to understand how and why the budget shortfall occurred and what steps need to be taken to address the causes,” adding, “The Council believes this assessment is critical to the City’s immediate and long-term financial health and for assuring citizens’ confidence in their government.” The statement went on, “The consultant’s scope of work will include a review of financial presentations prepared for budget deliberations and Council meetings, as well as interviews with City government leaders and financial staff. The outside expert will develop a report of findings on specific weaknesses and recommendations for improvement. The report’s findings and recommendations will be presented at a Council work session and regularly scheduled public meeting, and will be available for public review and on the City web site. It is expected that the Council will select the consultant by the end of October and a report will be delivered by the end of November.”