Norman City Council will consider the resignation of City Auditor Shaakira Calnick at its regular meeting Tuesday evening due to an incorrect job listing that did not require her to be a certified public accountant, Mayor Stephen Tyler Holman said.
Holman told OU Daily Tuesday the resignation is due to Norman’s Municipal Code, which requires the city auditor to be a certified public accountant. Calnick does not have the certification, according to Holman.
According to the code, this requirement was adopted in May 2022.
Calnick has served as Norman’s city auditor since November 2023. She previously worked as a senior fraud analyst February 2021 to July 2022 and held numerous positions in New York from 2011 to February 2021, according to LinkedIn.
Holman said the job posting Calnick applied for did not align with city charter because it did not have a CPA requirement, which led to Calnick’s hire.
“Pretty massive oversight,” Holman said. “That HR director is no longer with the city.”
Holman said council is considering a charter amendment that would remove the CPA requirement.
“We will be looking for someone that can meet those qualifications in the charter and then potentially look at doing a charter amendment that would require voter approval,” Holman said. “To make it a little less restrictive as far as having to have a certified CPA, but maybe a certified CPA and/or other qualifications or certifications.”
According to a staff report, and confirmed by Norman Chief Communications Officer Tiffany Martinez Vrska, article five of the city charter adds the position of city auditor as an “at-will” position appointed by council.
In its April 29 special meeting, council discussed conducting a mid-year review of Calnick, as authorized by Oklahoma statutes.
Council has discussed Calnick’s employment during four executive sessions: June 3 and 10, July 29 and Oct. 7. During the June 10 special meeting, council considered the removal, suspension or resignation of Calnick, per that meeting’s agenda. Following the October discussion, council directed legal staff to pursue concluding Calnick’s employment by mutual agreement, according to the staff report. Calnick was advised of this and agreed to conclude her employment, the report reads.
According to Norman’s Municipal Code, the city auditor can be removed or suspended by a vote of at least five council members. If at least four council members vote to discuss the employment of the city auditor, a notice is filed with the city clerk and the item is placed for executive session at the next regularly scheduled meeting.
In an email to OU Daily Tuesday, Vrska said she was limited in speaking on the situation because it is a personnel matter, but provided a statement.
“Calnick has shared she plans to pursue additional education opportunities, …” the statement read. “Should the resignation be formally accepted, additional information regarding the filling of this vacancy will be made available in weeks to come.”
OU Daily reached out to Calnick on Tuesday but did not hear back by the time of publication.
Background
Last year, Calnick was involved in a disputed audit of Food and Shelter, a local nonprofit that provides support to people experiencing homelessness.
During a city council meeting in May 2024, Calnick reported Food & Shelter, then-operator of Norman’s emergency shelter, A Friend’s House, misused about $9,835.60 in funds for the facility between November 2022 and February 2024, with $20,542 being unaccounted for.
Food and Shelter responded in June 2024 opposing the report, stating the financial findings in the audit were malicious and Calnick misused the term “disappearing” when referring to the unaccounted funds.
“These funds didn’t disappear. They covered the percentage of the necessary general operational costs, such as liability insurance and workers’ compensation insurance,” the release from Food & Shelter read. “The implication that these funds disappeared is incorrect.”
Calnick’s report also indicated April Doshier, Food & Shelter’s former executive director, received unexplained raises and bonuses, which the release opposed. Doshier denied the findings in Calnick’s report in a city council oversight committee meeting on June 13, 2024.
Food & Shelter announced its decision to part ways with A Friend’s House in September 2024 as a result of contract disagreements after more than two years of operation in Norman.
This story was edited by Natalie Armour and Thomas Pablo. Vanessa Essien and Sophie Hemker copy edited this story.
