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Finance director says 2023 audit received a clean opinion; ongoing review involves a complaint about a former employee
Summary
Finance director Katie Evanston told the commission the city's 2023 financial statements received an unmodified (clean) opinion from the Ohio Auditor of State and clarified that cover-letter language referencing an ongoing review relates to a complaint concerning a former employee, not a broader financial investigation.
Katie Evanston, Springfield’s finance director, addressed public questions about the city’s 2023 audit and clarified language that appeared in the auditor of state's cover letter.
Evanston said the city’s most recent audit was completed and accepted by the Auditor of State and that the city received an unmodified, or clean, opinion "meaning our financial statements were found to be fairly presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles." She said two sentences in the cover letter note an investigation is ongoing and that she has submitted a public-records request to obtain additional documentation from the Auditor of State.
Evanston told the commission the auditor had informed staff the review involves a complaint concerning a former employee and that "that is the only investigation currently underway involving the city of Springfield." She said routine complaint reviews are part of the auditor’s oversight and that it would be inappropriate to speculate beyond what the auditor has formally communicated. Evanston said the city will continue to cooperate and will post the audit and related statements on the city’s website the next day.
Her remarks were delivered in response to resident questions and a request for clarity about the audit language; no broader allegations about city-wide financial mismanagement were made in the meeting record.
