City of Destin receives clean audit for fiscal 2024; no material weaknesses reported

The City of Destin received a clean, unmodified audit opinion for fiscal year 2024, auditor Wade Sansbury told the council during the March 3 meeting.

The independent audit partner from Malden & Jenkins told the council the firm found no material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in the city’s financial reporting. "Based on all of our audit procedures and testing, we provided to you all an unmodified opinion," Sansbury said.

Why it matters: An unmodified ("clean") opinion means the auditors believe the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the city’s financial position. Sansbury highlighted a roughly 4.7% increase in the city’s general fund balance and a drop in total debt per resident of about $200.

Key points from the presentation - The city prepares an Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR), a more detailed package than required by the state; the auditor commended city staff for the work on that report. - General fund balance ended the year at about $33.9 million, a 4.7% increase from the prior year. - Total spending per resident was presented at roughly $2,400; average employee salary was cited at about $63,000 with roughly 103 employees citywide.

The audit also noted the city did not spend or receive federal or state awards in excess of $750,000 during the year, so a separate Single Audit was not required.

What council members asked: Councilman Bagby asked for the detail behind the payroll total Sansbury cited; Sansbury said the $6.5 million figure was a summary compiled from payroll-related general ledger accounts and offered to provide the back-up to council.

Ending: Council members publicly thanked Crystal (city finance staff) and her team for producing the statements and assisting the auditors through the process. The presentation closed without follow-up requests beyond the payroll backup paperwork mentioned above.