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County receives unmodified opinions on FY2024 financial and single‑audit; commissioners accept report
Summary
External auditors delivered unmodified (clean) opinions on county financial statements and federal/state grant compliance for FY2024; commissioners accepted the report and received guidance on upcoming GASB changes and one water/sewer metric flagged for review.
The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 28 accepted the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024 audited financial statements and single‑audit reports, after auditors reported unmodified (clean) opinions on both the county’s general financial statements and federal and state grant compliance.
Linda Suggs, senior manager for the audit engagement at Cherry Bekaert LLP, presented the results. Suggs told the board the firm issued unmodified opinions, reported no material weaknesses, and noted no audit findings requiring report for 2024. Suggs also described required communications including significant accounting estimates — notably pension and post‑employment benefit obligations — and highlighted a forthcoming GASB standard (GASB 101) that will require accruals for sick‑leave payouts in future financial statements.
Robin Coontz, the county’s finance director and chief financial officer, introduced the auditors and participated in the presentation. Commissioner Bill Faircloth moved to accept the audit as presented; the motion carried.
Suggs noted one metric from the Local Government Commission filings: a water and sewer district showed an operational loss in 2024, primarily driven by maintenance expenses, and the county should monitor that district’s operations. The auditors reported no disagreements with management, no difficulties encountered during the audit, and said they performed limited non‑attest services (preparation of financial statements and the federal data‑collection form) with separate teams to preserve independence.
The board asked for a plain‑language explanation of GASB for public distribution; auditors agreed to provide additional explanatory material. The board instructed finance staff to proceed with any administrative follow up, including filing where required.
