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📊 Audit Results In: DeFuniak Springs received an unmodified opinion on its 2023-24 audit, the highest assurance level.
🛠️ Findings Resolved: 11 out of 13 prior issues have been addressed, with progress still underway on water loss and sanitation fund tracking.
👏 Council Applauds Progress: Council members and staff were praised for turning around the city’s financial management and meeting state deadlines.
The City Council of DeFuniak Springs gathered this week and received encouraging news about their 2023-2024 Fiscal Year audit.
The mood in the City Council Chambers was upbeat, and Koby Townsend, City Manager, welcomed Ryan Tucker, Partner of Purvis Gray Certified Public Accountants, to present the findings of the City’s financial audit.
“Significant progress has been made this year,” Tucker said about the audit results, “You may recall in the prior couple of years, we have not been able to get the [audit] report finalized within the state’s deadline of June 30, but we’re pleased to be able to do that [this year.]”
Mr. Tucker gave an account of 13 findings [significant issues or deficiencies identified during an audit] in the prior year’s audit report and he said that 11 of those findings have been resolved. He indicated that two findings remain that are still being “worked on” for resolution.
Nevertheless, Tucker said that Purvis Gray gave the City an unmodified opinion, or the highest level of assurance an accounting firm can provide that a city’s finances are in order.
“This is one of the better reports we will see,” Tucker added.
Tucker addressed the two remaining findings, which impact ‘water line loss’ and ‘sanitation fund reconciliation.’
There is also a Letter of Communication that has been sent to the City to convey the overall outcome of the audit. One item Mr. Tucker mentioned was the City’s implementation of a new Government Accounting Standard (GASB 100).
Councilwoman Amy Heavlin, Mayor Pro Tem, thanked the team from the accounting firm for their work. She also thanked Daniele McDaniel, Interim Finance Director, and the City’s Finance Team. “Just looking at where we were last year – to where we are today. [It’s a] ‘leaps and bounds’ difference from [where we were,]” Heavlin said, “I think it was a ‘modified opinion‘ [referring to the past audit] to now an ‘unmodified’ which is the highest assurance that you can get.
The Council Chambers were full of applause because of a good audit and all the members of the City Council expressed appreciation for the healthy milestone achieved.
Toward the end of the meeting, Councilmember Heavilin addressed the important vacancy for the Finance Director position that needs to be filled. With that discussion came another round of accolades for the health and improvement of the Finance Office for DeFuniak Springs.
Pro Communi Bono
