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Fayette County audit returns unmodified opinion; county earns 31st consecutive GFOA award
Summary
Auditors from Nichols, Cauley & Associates reported an unmodified ("clean") FY2025 audit for Fayette County; the county also received its 31st consecutive Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the GFOA. Auditors noted full cooperation and a tentative clean peer‑review result for their firm.
Fayette County officials received an unmodified ("clean") opinion on the county’s Fiscal Year 2025 financial statements during the Board of Commissioners meeting on Jan. 22, 2026.
Gregory Chapman of Nichols, Cauley & Associates, LLC, presented the audit results and said the firm performed the audit in accordance with Auditing Standards Generally Accepted in the United States (GAAS) and Government Auditing Standards. Chapman told commissioners that the audit provides reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the basic financial statements were free from material misstatement and that the county received full cooperation from county management and staff.
The audit report was submitted to the Department of Audits per state law and to the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA). Sheryl Winnman, Fayette County Chief Finance Officer, said this was the eleventh consecutive year the county had received an unmodified opinion and that the county had earned the GFOA Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for 2024 — the 31st consecutive year Fayette County received that recognition.
Commissioner Charles W. Oddo asked Chapman about the auditor peer review process; Chapman said an independent firm conducted a peer review of Nichols, Cauley & Associates and the firm received a tentative clean pass report with no deficiencies pending final approval. County Administrator Steve Rapson commended county finance staff for sustained performance.
Chapman emphasized the audit focused on financial statements and that internal control evaluation was performed only to the extent required by auditing standards. He thanked the Board for the opportunity to serve the county.
The audit presentation reinforces the county’s long record of financial reporting recognized by the GFOA and provides the Board and public with an independent evaluation of the county’s FY2025 financial statements.
