Two TUSD audit committee members resign

Two members of TUSD’s audit committee have resigned after the public learned that their spouses are employed by the district.

Bill Tong and Todd Anderson stepped down Monday from the volunteer committee, which is designed to help strengthen the Tucson Unified School District’s internal financial controls and help provide greater transparency of TUSD’s management of taxpayer money.

It also receives anonymous tips about financial wrongdoing within the district.

A third member, Ricky Hernandez of the Pima County Superintendent’s Office, continues to serve even though his wife and a sibling work for TUSD.

TUSD has argued that nothing in the committee’s charter prohibits that kind of relationship since it was revised earlier this year.

The revisions, which allowed the appointment of spouses and disallowed anyone living outside of the district’s boundaries, were meant to ensure that those serving on the Governing Board committee would have a stake in what is happening in TUSD.

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TUSD Superintendent H.T. Sanchez has said that the advisory nature of the committee means the ultimate say comes from the Governing Board.

Tong is the Vice President of Alliance Bank of Arizona. Months after he was appointed to the committee, his wife Michelle was named director of TUSD employee relations.

Anderson is the managing partner of Anderson Financial Group. 

Both Anderson and Hernandez previously told the Arizona Daily Star that they felt they were capable of serving in a watchdog role despite their TUSD connections.

“I made it very clear to everybody involved that if they were looking for somebody to be a yes man, I’m not their guy,” Anderson said. “My reputation is too important within the community to sacrifice my integrity based on trying to play favoritism to anybody.”