External audit finds clean opinion for Jupiter’s fiscal 2024 financial reports; town, CRA and federal programs reviewed

An audit partner identified in the meeting as Moriza presented the Town of Jupiter’s annual comprehensive financial report (ACFR) and the separate Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended Sept. 30, 2024. Moriza told the Town Council and the CRA board that the auditor issued an unmodified opinion — the standard “clean” opinion auditors aim to give — on the municipal financial statements.

For the town overall, Moriza said the audit covers governmental activities, business‑type activities and each major fund. He highlighted the Management’s Discussion and Analysis portion of the ACFR as a nine‑page narrative that explains drivers behind fiscal 2024 activity compared with 2023, and he urged elected officials and the public to read it for context. The auditors reported unrestricted net position for the town at about $188 million at year‑end and a positive change in net position for the town of about $35.2 million for the fiscal year.

For the Jupiter CRA, Moriza said the auditors issued a clean opinion on the CRA’s financial statements for the year ended Sept. 30, 2024. The CRA’s net position increased by roughly $1.8 million, from about $8.3 million to $10.1 million at year‑end, and the auditors reported no instances of noncompliance with statute in their testing for eligible CRA expenditures under Florida law.

The auditors also completed federal single‑audit testing required for major federal programs that the town expended during the year. The auditors told the council they had selected the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund program (CFDA 21.027) as a major program and, after testing, reported no findings of noncompliance for that program.

On internal controls, the auditors said they did not identify any deficiencies rise to the level of material weakness or significant deficiency for the town, and they reported no instances of noncompliance discovered in their tests of compliance for grants, contracts and statutes. The audit team also released a separate communication letter identifying sensitive footnotes; the auditors highlighted pension and other post‑employment benefit (OPEB) accounting (GASB Nos. 68 and 75) as significant items for readers.

Council members thanked the audit firm and town staff for a thorough audit process; the auditors reported the work required roughly 500–600 hours on site this cycle and the ACFR was released to the board on March 28, 2025. The council noted the town’s ongoing participation in the Government Finance Officers Association certificate of achievement program and its long record of receiving that recognition. No action was required during the presentation beyond acceptance of the report and public discussion.