Township auditor reports unmodified opinion; fund balance about $1.38 million, fire protection fund rises

Harris Township's auditors presented draft financial reports for 2024 and said the firm will finalize documents within the week ahead of the end-of-month deadline.

Lindsey Viera, audit manager with the firm working with Mara Dissell, told the board the auditors had issued an unmodified opinion — the highest level of assurance — on the draft statements. She said, “Currently, all of these reports are still in draft form. However, they will be finalized, within the week, so well before the end of the month deadline.”

Viera summarized fund balances: total fund balance approximately $1,380,000; the fire protection fund increased from about $524,000 in 2023 to roughly $631,000 in 2024; the general fund stood at about $339,000, and the capital projects fund fell by about $122,000 driven by equipment and vehicle purchases. The auditors reported no uncorrected misstatements and no disagreements with management.

Supervisors and residents asked about revenue sources that contributed to the increases; the board discussed real estate transfer tax receipts (noting the township receives one-half of one percent on real estate transfers), cable franchise fees (about $118,000 reported as 5% of the basic cable package), and certain in-lieu-of-tax payments. Staff clarified the audit fieldwork timeline and the expected final reporting schedule.

What's next: Final audit reports to be issued within the week; the board will receive finalized documents and can use the reported fund balances to inform budgeting and capital planning.