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Champaign County warns delayed 2024 single audit could jeopardize grant funding; board directs administration to act
Summary
Board members were told the county’s fiscal year 2024 single audit is months behind, leaving 52 of 59 items due to the external auditor past due; the board gave direction to county administration to coordinate with CLA and hire temporary staff to meet deadlines and protect grant funding.
Champaign County Board Committee of the Whole members heard an update on the status of the county’s fiscal year 2024 audit and voted informally to direct county administration to take immediate steps to complete the audit and avoid potential funding disruptions.
The board was told that of 59 work items due to CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA), 52 were past due and that bank and fund reconciliations across roughly 67 funds remain behind. The county’s outside-audit deadlines have slipped, staff said, raising the risk that federal and state pass-through grants could be frozen or denied if the single audit is not completed on time.
Why it matters: county staff and a group of regional partners said timely completion of the single audit is a condition for drawing federal and state funds that support Head Start, LIHEAP, workforce development, housing assistance and other programs serving vulnerable residents. The Champaign County Regional Planning Commission submitted a public letter saying the audit delays “pose serious risk” to those programs and urging the auditor to complete the fiscal year 2024 single audit on or before Sept. 30, 2025.
Board discussion and direction: Board members attributed the backlog to staff turnover in the auditor’s office, including the recent departure of a longtime auditor who had worked overtime to complete last year’s work. Board members and staff discussed immediate remedies: doubling down on coordination with CLA, designating Travis (county finance staff) as the administration point person for the audit, and hiring temporary, task-based staff to complete reconciliations and deliver outstanding materials to CLA. Members indicated support for that course of action by consensus and a verbal “thumbs up” in the meeting; no separate formal appropriation was made at that time.
Concerns and financial exposure: Speakers noted last year the county nearly lost millions in funding when audit work lagged. Board member Jenna Locke said, “All hands on deck” is required now to get 2024 materials to the auditor; another member read a letter from the regional planning commission emphasizing that delayed single audits have previously led to conditions on grant draws for the RPC. Board members also warned that late filing with CLA will likely incur extra charges from CLA and lengthen the schedule for future audits if tasks are not completed promptly.
Next steps and implementation: County finance staff said they can still aim to meet a Sept. 30, 2025 completion if the administration is resourced to close year-end reconciliations immediately. The board directed administration to coordinate with CLA, to consider hiring temporary staff focused on the overdue tasks, and to report back on progress; members requested that Travis serve as the primary liaison to ensure direct communication between CLA and the board.
Ending: The board discussed but did not adopt an immediate, line-item funding measure for temporary staff during the meeting; members said the budget process and subsequent board meetings will consider needed resources and that administration will return with specifics as soon as possible.
