Bluff receives clean audit for year ended June 30, 2024, auditor tells council

Larson & Company auditor John Hatterley told the Bluff Town Council on Dec. 17 that the firm issued an unmodified opinion on the town’s financial statements for the year ended June 30, 2024 (audit dated Oct. 30).

Hatterley said the audit also included an unmodified compliance opinion on the narrow areas reviewed for state reporting. He explained the report language and the role of the management discussion and analysis (MD&A), noting that required supplementary information is not part of the auditor’s opinion. “If the language is the same or similar, then it’s an unmodified or unqualified” opinion, he said.

Hatterley outlined the audit’s significant risk areas — improper revenue recognition, cash disbursements, management bias, estimates and journal-entry overrides — and described tests the auditors performed, including examining journal entries and cash disbursement procedures. He reported no material misstatements, no disagreements with management, and no internal-control or state compliance findings.

Council members thanked staff for timely responses during the audit and singled out finance staff help that kept the engagement running smoothly. The council took no formal action on the audit at the meeting; Hatterley invited members to follow up with questions off-line.

The audit covers the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024; the town’s audit file was dated Oct. 30 and already uploaded to the state, the auditor said.