Auditor gives Youngsville a clean opinion but flags 10 findings; council accepts 2024 financial report

Brad Kolder of Kolder, Slave and Company presented the city’s fiscal‑year audit ending June 30, 2024, telling the council “you have a clean opinion on these financial statements” and confirming the single audit on federal grants also received a clean, unmodified opinion.

Kolder said the audit contained 10 findings, up from three in the prior year; he attributed several new findings to the city’s decision to deconsolidate cash accounts and said some of the newly reported issues had already been addressed by staff. He recommended ongoing follow‑up to resolve the remaining findings.

Kolder and city staff reviewed utility fund performance in the audit: water, sewer and sanitation combined showed revenue growth but a swing to an operating loss in 2024 driven by increased expenditures and higher depreciation tied to new assets (including a wastewater treatment/sludge‑handling facility that came online in the audit year). Kolder said the utility fund remained cash‑positive overall once non‑operating revenues were included.

City finance staff and council noted the city’s operating surplus when capital and debt proceeds are excluded and highlighted recent efforts to improve internal accounting and reporting. Staff said the March 2024 rate increase for utilities appears to be helping the sanitation fund and that the large meter purchases in 2024 drove part of the expense increase.

After the presentation, Councilman Romero moved and Councilmember Barres seconded a motion to approve the financial report “as presented”; the motion carried on a recorded vote with all council members voting yes.