Hardin County accepts FY2024 audit showing strong fund balance, unmodified opinion

Hardin County Commissioners Court on Sept. 9 accepted the county's fiscal year 2024 independent audit, which delivered an unmodified opinion and reported a net increase in the county's general fund balance.

The audit presentation came from a representative of Crow, who told the court, "Crow has issued an unmodified opinion, which is the highest level assurance we can provide to the court that all the disclosures required by generally accepted accounting principles have been included within your report, and the financial statements are materially correct." The court then voted to accept the audit on a motion by Commissioner Kuykendahl, seconded by Commissioner Cooper.

The auditor highlighted key figures for the general fund: total revenues of $23,953,000 and expenditures of about $19,989,000, with other financing sources and uses producing a net $518,000 reduction for the year. The result was a net increase in fund balance of $3,889,000, bringing the beginning fund balance of $11,694,000 to an ending fund balance of $15,139,000. The auditor said that equates to "a little over nine months" of operating reserves.

The auditor also reported audited, unmodified opinions on the county's federal and state grant reports. The presentation included fund balances for specific funds: about $2.3 million ending balance for road and bridge funds, and $891,000 in the ARP pay fund. Court members asked no substantive questions and voted to accept the reports as presented.

The acceptance is procedural: the court formally recorded the auditor's report and uploaded the revised emergency services district financials the same morning. The audit report will be available with the county records as the official audited financial statements for 2024.

The county accepted the reports by roll-call motion; the court did not take any separate direction to staff beyond acceptance.