Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the County Finance And Utilities topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County posts FY22 single audit; officials say audits must finish before utility rate changes
Summary
Mariposa County posted its fiscal year 2022 single audit on Jan. 6. County officials said the FY23 audit must be completed before the board can adopt new utility rates, a delay that officials said has held up grant payments and required temporary county loans to utility districts.
Mariposa County posted the single audit for fiscal year 2022 on Jan. 6, County Administrative Officer Joe Lynch told the Board of Supervisors on Jan. 14. Lynch said the FY22 audit has been posted on the Mariposa County Auditor page and that the preliminary schedule for the FY23 audit is now between March and June, depending on the outside auditor's availability.
The audit posting matters because staff and board members said they need an audited FY23 to rely on the county's baseline financials before setting new water and wastewater utility rates. "We cannot be confident that we can use '23's information to make any types of changes," Lynch said during the meeting.
Supervisor Poe said the auditing delay has practical consequences for residents and county operations. "Because we have not met the deadlines of when this stuff is supposed to be done, then you've lost grant money," Poe said, adding the delays have hampered efforts to renegotiate fees and to hold town-hall meetings for utility districts in his district.
County staff and department directors described the immediate operational effects. A department representative said some grant funds are on hold until the audits are complete, and that the county has provided short-term loans to utility districts to maintain service that will be rolled into future rates. "Public Works is ready to go," a Public Works representative said, "we have borrow wells, we have a contract. As soon as we get those numbers, we will get going." Director Hansen (finance) told the board she is unwilling to recommend rate changes until the auditor verifies the underlying numbers.
Board members noted the county has not updated some utility rates in many years and that implementing rates based on incorrect baselines could create additional problems. Lynch and staff said the work done to close FY22 creates a framework that should speed completion of FY23. Lynch estimated the FY23 single audit will be posted between March and June and said once it is complete the county expects to move forward on rate-setting and other financial decisions.
Next steps: County staff said they will continue to provide audit updates and that the FY23 single audit will determine the timeline for rate proposals and any associated public outreach.
