Members of the Metropolitan King County Council expressed concern, brainstormed and batted around ideas Tuesday as they sought reforms to the county’s fiscal oversight programs, following an auditor’s report of unapproved payments and possible fraud.

The County Council is considering legislation that would increase oversight at the county’s Department of Community and Human Services. A recent audit found that DCHS has increased its grantmaking from $922 million in 2019-20 to $1.8 billion in 2023-34. At the same time, the audit found, the department has awarded grants to more “high risk” organizations — those that have little history of working with government or little financial oversight in place — while failing to appropriately monitor their work.

The funding growth was fueled in large

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