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Hunt County accepts FY2024 audit after delayed delivery; auditor cites staffing and system issues
Summary
Hunt County approved its delayed FY2024 audit after auditor Robert Lake described staffing turnover and chart-of-accounts hurdles that slowed the report. The auditor issued an unmodified opinion and commissioners pressed for process improvements and timely reports going forward.
Hunt County Commissioners Court approved the county's fiscal 2024 financial audit on Feb. 24 after auditor Robert Lake apologized for a late report and outlined the causes of the delay.
"I apologize for it being late," Lake told the court, saying his firm had experienced turnover and that the county's chart-of-accounts and reporting format made automated reporting difficult. He said the firm had added staff and was coordinating with county finance staff to streamline future reporting.
The audit presented year-end governmentwide numbers showing roughly $72 million in total revenues, $72.5 million in expenses (a net decrease of about $692,000), capital assets of about $45 million and a governmentwide net position near $69.7 million. The general fund held roughly $22.7 million in cash and reported fund equity of about $18.9 million. The auditor reported an unmodified opinion and said he identified no material weaknesses in internal control.
Commissioners pressed for assurances that statutory deadlines would be met in future years. "How confident are you that you can keep up with the reports that we have to have?" one commissioner asked. Lake said he believed the firm could meet the May 31 federal reporting deadline if the county and auditor refined their workflow and shared adjusting entries in the county's accounting system.
Judge Stovall and other commissioners discussed recent steps to modernize the county's financial software and giving auditors access to produce standard reports directly from the county system. Lake noted the county's planned upgrade to a newer Enco/Encode system could reduce manual compilation tasks once implemented.
The court voted to accept the audit on a motion and second; the auditor remained available to answer follow-up questions and suggested the finance office and auditor will coordinate procedures to reduce future delays.
What this means: The unmodified audit supports the county's current financial statements but underscores a need for process changes to reduce dependence on manual compilation. Commissioners directed staff to continue work on reporting improvements and to keep the court apprised of timetables for meeting federal and state reporting deadlines.
