PB Meyers: Goochland County audit on schedule; no issues identified so far

Andrea Nichols, the engagement's lead auditor with PB Meyers, told the Goochland County Finance and Audit Committee on opening of its Finance and Audit meeting that preliminary field work has been completed and the audit is progressing on schedule. "I am pleased to report we don't have any issues that we have identified, thus far," Nichols said.

Nichols introduced the audit team and noted direct access to engagement partners for committee members, naming Mike Garber (primary partner), Betsy Hedrick (engagement partner for schools and Goochland-Powhatan Community Services) and Antonina McEvoy (partner with cybersecurity expertise). She explained the firm uses partner rotation and in-charge rotation to preserve independence while retaining institutional knowledge.

The audit will cover the year ended 06/30/2025 financial statements for Goochland County, Goochland County Public Schools and the Goochland-Powhatan Community Services Board, Nichols said, and will include a single-audit review of federal-award compliance under 2 CFR 200. Deliverables will include the county audit report, single-audit reports and agreed-upon-procedures reports required by the Auditor of Public Accounts.

Nichols described the planned timing: on-site field work and testing in September, off-site review and quality control in late September and early October, and writing and internal review in November, with an overall state filing deadline of December 15, 2025. She told the committee the county is classified this year as a "low-risk auditee," which reduces the extent of federal testing required.

On risks, Nichols said auditors perform a tailored risk assessment and identified two standing areas of emphasis: the risk of management override of controls (a required communication every year) and the implementation of GASB 101, which could change how compensated-absence liabilities are reported. She emphasized that understanding internal control is required for the financial statement audit but that the audit is not an opinion on internal-control effectiveness.

The auditor also conducted standard fraud inquiries and invited committee members and staff to report any known concerns. "If we did [identify issues], we would communicate that to you immediately," Nichols said.

Next steps: Nichols said the team will proceed with scheduled field work and report timely observations to the committee; the audit generally is presented to the full Board of Supervisors in early December following the committee review.