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External auditors give Tangipahoa Parish a clean opinion, note one budget finding
Summary
James Lambert, Riggs and Associates reported a clean opinion on Tangipahoa Parish's 2024 financial statements but identified a budget finding in the industrial development fund.
James Lambert, Riggs and Associates presented the Tangipahoa Parish 2024 audit at the June 23 council meeting, delivering a clean opinion on the parish financial statements and noting one continuing budget finding.
“Basically, we are giving a clean opinion on your financial statements,” audit director Paul Riggs told the council. He described the audit as having gone “very, very smoothly,” with no internal control findings and positive compliance results for most federal grant testing.
Riggs said auditors identified one budget finding related to the industrial development fund: money received after year-end for calendar-year 2024 was not reflected in the 2024 year-end budget, which resulted in a budget violation. He framed the matter as a recurring but narrowing issue: “We have had this finding for a number of years... This year, it was just 1.”
The audit team also performed the statewide agreed-upon procedures mandated by the legislative auditor. Riggs reported no exceptions in the specific areas tested for 2024 (collections and disbursements) and said the auditors will resubmit required materials electronically to the legislative auditor by the June 30 deadline.
Riggs noted approximately $40 million in federal grant spending in 2024, including ARPA funds, and said the auditors found no significant issues with compliance for those programs.
Ending: The finance committee reviewed the audit earlier the same day and moved to accept it; the council voted 9-0 to accept the audit report as presented.
