Pearland receives clean audit for fiscal 2024; council accepts comprehensive financial report

The Pearland City Council voted unanimously to accept the city’s annual comprehensive financial report for the fiscal year ended Sept. 30, 2024, after auditors from Whitley Penn presented their findings and recommended acceptance.

Andrew Jeanette, audit manager for Whitley Penn, told council the firm issued an unmodified (clean) opinion on the city’s financial statements and found no material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in internal control this year. "We're happy to report that this is the opinion that the city received, the clean or unmodified opinion," Jeanette said.

Jeanette described the audit process—interim fieldwork on internal controls and a year‑end review of substantive balances—and said the auditors also completed a single audit of federal programs. The single-audit work identified one major program, the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, and found no findings or questioned costs.

The audit team listed members who worked on the engagement, including Sean Berry (senior associate), Patrick Simmons (engagement partner) and Lupe Garcia (engagement quality control reviewer). City staff thanked the finance department for the work to address past audit issues; in discussion councilmembers noted improvement from prior years when material weaknesses were identified.

Council then accepted the audit by a 7-0 vote. Staff and the auditors noted that management corrected material misstatements discovered during the audit and that management signed a representation letter attesting to the accuracy of provided information.

No city action beyond acceptance of the report was taken at the meeting.