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Opa-locka audit for fiscal 2023 released; auditors say city now compliant with state timing rule
Summary
Markham LLP presented the city's fiscal year 2023 audit, saying the report was released in December and that the city meets Florida's timeliness requirement; auditors and finance director said remaining Auditor General recommendations are being addressed.
City of Opa-locka Finance Director Naima Gantt and auditors from Markham LLP presented the city's audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended Sept. 30, 2023, telling the City Commission the report was released in mid-December and that, with the release, the city is compliant with the Florida statute governing timely financial reporting.
Moe Bridal, a partner at Markham LLP, told commissioners the audit was emailed to commission members and staff on Dec. 19 and Dec. 20. "With this release, as of today, the city of Opa-locka is compliant with the Florida statute," Bridal said during the presentation. The auditors gave separate opinions on major funds and highlighted a positive change in net position: "the change in net position for the city of Opa-locka was north of 7,000,000," Bridal said, pointing the commission to the statement of activities in the printed report.
Gantt and the auditors urged commissioners to read the management discussion and analysis, which the auditors said spans pages 5 through 22 of the printed report and compares 2023 with 2022. Bridal also summarized the footnote disclosures and a compliance section beginning in the printed documents that details prior recommendations and progress on remediating them.
Commissioners asked about a prior Auditor General report listing 99 findings. Bridal and city staff said some of those items were operational recommendations rather than financial audit findings and that many had been remediated. Gantt said the city is actively working to address outstanding items and intended to have remaining items addressed in the fiscal 2024 audit cycle. "That's our intent, to have them addressed in its entirety," Gantt said.
Bridal thanked the finance department and city manager's office for their cooperation during the audit, saying the department provided requested information promptly and that the number of outstanding recommendations has decreased since earlier Auditor General work.
The presentation closed with auditors taking questions from commissioners; staff said they will update the commission on the status of remaining Auditor General recommendations at a later meeting.
Audiovisual copies of the audit and the management discussion and analysis were made available to commissioners and were referenced during the presentation.
