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Hubbard County board approves engagement letter with Office of State Auditor
Summary
The Hubbard County Board approved an engagement letter with the Office of State Auditor so the county’s 2024 audit can proceed on the auditor’s schedule; staff said the arrangement is routine while the county continues internal improvements.
Hubbard County commissioners voted to approve an engagement letter with the Office of State Auditor so the county’s 2024 audit can proceed on the auditor’s schedule.
Administrator said the copy presented was a clean version of the same terms the county has used previously and emphasized timing. “I just wanted to not be the reason that we are 2 weeks behind a schedule,” the Administrator said, explaining why the item was added to the agenda and approved that day.
The Administrator told the board the county has made progress on internal financial reporting and is working with CLA in an advisory role to prepare audit materials. The Administrator said the county will consider whether to seek a private auditor in the future but that choosing an alternative requires the county to be fully prepared to produce its financial reports; canceling the Office of State Auditor engagement, the Administrator said, would carry a multi-year consequence because the state office will not resume audits for an entity immediately after it terminates service.
Karen Stack, identified in the engagement letter as the Office of State Auditor team leader, was named in discussion as the contact assigned to the county. The Administrator said that having an engagement letter from the assigned team leader “is good — it means we’re on her schedule and we want to do everything we can to move this forward and get it done on time this year.”
Commissioners voiced support for the approval and for staff work on internal reporting; one commissioner moved the item and a second supported it. The motion carried with all commissioners voting in favor.
The Administrator also reviewed the county’s budget timeline: department manager budget submissions are due the coming Friday and the board will receive a first draft of the Interactive Financial System (IFS) budget before the board’s first August meeting. The Administrator said work sessions in August and September will be busier as the board reviews budget details.
The engagement letter approval begins the audit scheduling process; staff said they will provide materials to the Office of State Auditor and continue work with CLA on audit preparation.
