County finance staff push audit prep and single-audit work as treasurer reports March balances

County finance staff told the Custer County Board of Commissioners on May 22 that they are intensifying preparation for the county's annual audit, including work specific to a "single audit" triggered by federal funding levels, and implementing an auditing documentation system to organize deliverables for the auditors.

Why it matters: Single audits (required when federal spending exceed $750,000) bring additional federal oversight. The county said it is attempting to improve internal accounting work and documentation to reduce outside audit time and risk.

Key points from staff - Single-audit preparation: Staff said the county received more than $850,000 in federal funds, triggering a single audit; auditors will officially start field work on June 2 and county staff have already provided materials and are preparing CFO-level schedules for auditor review. - Documentation improvements: The county adopted an auditing-documentation software to package the auditor's work and reduce disorganized document stacks. Staff credited recent policy updates with helping audit readiness. - Treasurer's report: The treasurer presented March beginning balances and an ending general (and combined) fund balance. The report showed a beginning total of $11,923,782.19 and an ending combined balance for the month of $10,051,856.53; staff noted that some auto-tax entries were in error and being corrected. - Reconciliation and IRS withdrawals: Staff reported complexity reconciling monthly IRS withdrawals that come from the county bank in multiple drafts; accounting assistance is helping to manage the timing issues.

Next steps: County finance will continue pre-audit work, supply schedules to auditors before the official start date and bring recommended items (RFP results and insurance renewals) back to the board for formal action.