It could be said the city’s new auditor general already has his motto: independence, transparency and objectivity.

Ron Foster walks through the doors of his office on Tuesday towing decades of experience in the public sector, including stopovers in Richmond Hill and Markham and, most recently, seven years as Oshawa’s AG.

He takes over from Vasu Balakrishnan, a senior auditor who has been fulfilling the AG role on an interim basis.

Foster laid out his approach to work during an event Monday at which he was introduced to local media. He said his style centres on clear and accessible reports that are easy for laypersons to understand and offer a balanced assessment — noting both successes and areas for improvement.

"I like to produce balanced and fair reports that are easy to read," he said. "Reports should be informative and easy to read, for the public to understand. … No one likes to hear just about your shortcomings. I hope to bring good and timely reporting practices to the city."

It is still early days and while Foster said he has begun formulating an audit plan, he was hesitant to share details on Monday, deferring instead to city council.

"I have to work with senior management in terms of getting their input into my plan," he added. "I want to ensure my plan is aligned with policy directions and priorities within the city."

He alluded, however, to an examination of the roles part-time staff and students play in the municipality, a corporation with a budget of more than $500 million.

"I have a half-dozen (areas) in mind, but I’m sure council’s list will vary a little bit," he added. "That sort of back-and-forth in terms of prioritization is to be expected and is desirable. You don’t want to be working by yourself in a corner. It’s okay if you’re having your lunch by yourself, but you don’t want to be working out of step with council."

He also suggested he will adopt a collaborative approach to the tasks at hand and said he hopes to cultivate "constructive relationships" with staff.

"My aim is to be fair and accurate with my reports. I don’t expect them to stand up and cheer, and say ‘hooray, they’re coming here’ when we announce which areas we’ll be auditing on an annual basis, but we’d hope that it wouldn’t cause panic or great concern," Foster said. "We do try to accommodate timelines … but I suspect there’s never a good time for an audit. We accommodate to the extent we can."

Admitting it was a long process, Ward 7 Coun. Mike Jakubo said the hiring committee was determined to get it right in hiring Foster.

"This group was committed to ensuring the successful candidate was going to be the most qualified, the most experienced and overall, the best fit for the city of Greater Sudbury," he said Monday. "The role of auditor general is no small feat and Vasu has done a fantastic job of taking on these additional responsibilities."

Mayor Brian Bigger, as well as councillors Al Sizer (Ward 8), Lynne Reynolds (Ward 11) and Jakubo, who chaired, comprised the hiring committee.

Before making the move north to the Nickel City, Foster worked for seven years as Oshawa’s auditor general. He left in August 2013 after that city’s council voted to oust him.

The National Post reported in September 2013 the Oshawa council meeting that led to Foster’s dismissal started with a violent altercation among members of the public gallery and ended nearly seven hours later in a vote to eliminate his position.

The motion, which passed 8-3, was the result of an inquiry into allegations Foster made against Oshawa’s city manager.

A handful of protesters attended in support of Foster, who released a controversial report months earlier accusing the city manager of tampering with files regarding the city purchase of a $5.2-million works depot.

George Rust-D’eye, a lawyer commissioned by Oshawa city council to review the allegations, called the report "inappropriate both in timing and in form." That review led to the vote eliminating Foster’s position.

The incoming auditor general downplayed his departure from Oshawa on Monday, contending seven years is the average life expectancy for many in his position.

"After 10 years, there’s generally an expectation that a new broom sweeps clean. Part of that is to ensure the impartiality or independence of the function," Foster said. "In Oshawa, I served two terms — a four-year and a three-year term. Seven is becoming more the norm. … Auditors general, like anyone else, can either get too close or too distant by the end of (their) term. For me, I’d rather have a five- or seven-year term and be remembered for being independent, objective and impartial, rather than staying an extra three (years) and being well-liked or well-loved. That word generally doesn’t come out much in terms of auditors general."

Foster, who has experience conducting internal audits, admitted Monday that while they may be necessary, those behind them may not always be the popular kids in the school yard.

"I think that goes with the territory — you can’t be their best friends and do your job effectively, but the positions of internal auditor and auditor general are similar in that they both require independence and objectivity," he said. "I feel I bring both those attributes to the table."

While some cities have done away with AGs, Foster argued there is great value in retaining the position, especially when he/she remains in tune with public needs and demands.

Stressing the auditor general’s independence, Bigger told media recruiting a new watchdog was one of council’s top priorities for 2015.

"It’s no coincidence the role of auditor general is established and described in the Municipal Act in a section entitled transparency and accountability," the mayor said. "I strongly believe transparency and accountability are essential elements in earning our citizens’ trust. … The role is very important to our community, in enhancing and promoting transparency, accountability and trust in municipal operations."

Despite the controversies of the past, Foster has a long list of credentials. He is a chartered professional accountant and certified management accountant, with experience in project management, fraud examination and risk management assurance.

Before assuming the auditor general position in Oshawa, he worked for five-and-a-half years as a senior manager at KPMG. Since 2013, Foster has been working as an independent audit and risk management consultant.

"After many hours of research, discussion and interviews, the hiring committee has no doubt that Mr. Foster was the best person for the job," Jakubo said Monday.

The auditor general’s office was vacated last year when Bigger took a leave of absence to run for mayor. Balakrishnan returns to his permanent position as senior auditor.

maryk.keown@sunmedia.ca

Twitter: @marykkeown