The Honolulu City Council on Friday will likely take the first steps toward a forensic audit of the city’s over-budget rail project.

Resolution 19-39 is on the Council’s Friday agenda despite failing to get a positive recommendation from the Budget Committee. That’s because Budget Chairman Joey Manahan requested the resolution be referred to the Council for a vote.

Council Chairwoman Ann Kobayashi agreed to earmark $2 million in next year’s legislative budget for hiring an outside firm to conduct the audit, said Councilwoman Heidi Tsuneyoshi, who authored the resolution.

Manahan initially called for a delay on the vote last week, saying he wanted to first hear from the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation board. The HART board voted Thursday to approve its own resolution asking the Council to hold off on a forensic audit until a federal investigation into the $9.2 billion project is completed.

HART officials confirmed the agency has received three federal grand jury subpoenas in recent weeks.

HART board members said they believe the issues raised by Tsuneyoshi’s resolution could be answered by the federal case.