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Auditor gives Clatsop County an unqualified opinion for fiscal 2023–24; single-audit finds none
Summary
The county's independent auditor issued an unqualified opinion on the fiscal year 2023–24 financial statements and reported no findings in the single-audit. Auditors noted one previously unrecorded interfund loan that has been corrected.
Kunz Blasquez and Associates delivered an unqualified opinion on Clatsop County's fiscal year 2023–24 financial statements during the board's work session; the firm's single-audit section showed no findings.
Andrew Sullivan, Clatsop County finance director, introduced Debbie Blasquez of Kunz Blasquez and Associates, who walked commissioners through the report's structure and key takeaways. "When you get to the little letter I, this is the transmittal letter that Andy wrote," Blasquez said, pointing commissioners to staff-prepared highlights. She said the auditors issued an unqualified (clean) opinion and that the single-audit of federal awards produced no findings.
The auditors supplied two additional letters alongside the audit report: a communication with those charged with governance and a short letter on internal-control-related items. Blasquez told the board the internal-control letter contained a single item: an interfund loan that had not been recorded in the county's books. "There was an interfund loan that just wasn't on the books, which we've rectified," she said.
Blasquez explained the report's sections and where to find budget-to-actual information, government-wide statements, proprietary fund statements (including Westport Sewer), notes to the financial statements, pension disclosures and the statistical section. She recommended that commissioners review the management discussion and analysis and the notes for context on fixed assets, pensions and forthcoming reporting changes.
Why it matters: An unqualified auditor's opinion indicates the independent auditor believes the financial statements fairly present the county's financial position in accordance with applicable accounting standards. The absence of single-audit findings means the auditors did not identify material weaknesses in federal award compliance during their tests.
Next steps: Sullivan and the auditors will continue to monitor internal controls noted in the internal-control letter; staff said the corrected interfund loan will be tracked to ensure proper presentation going forward.
