Tri‑County planning commission accepts 2025 audit; auditors note federal procurement compliance finding

The Tri‑County Regional Planning Commission voted to file its 2025 audit after auditors delivered an unmodified opinion on the commission’s financial statements but issued one federal compliance finding.

Auditors told the commission the accompanying financial statements "present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the government activities," offering the highest level of assurance for the statements. They also explained an area of noncompliance under uniform guidance: vendor suspension and debarment checks were not completed for some contracts because auditors and staff could not access the PennDOT vendor database during testing.

"We did not identify any material weaknesses for the government‑wide opinion," the auditor said, while noting the procurement finding and pointing to management’s response in the report. Staff told commissioners that management has already drafted corrective steps, including using sam.gov for vendor checks and arranging access through PennDOT where necessary.

Diane Myers, who led the financial presentation, told the commission the finding "has already been addressed in case it comes up in the future" and described a plan to ensure the required checks occur before contracting.

Mary Geiske moved to accept the audit for filing; Bob Spannler seconded and the motion carried on a voice vote. The commission did not take additional formal actions tied to the finding at the meeting beyond documenting management’s planned response.

The commission heard a detailed review of fund balances and government‑wide adjustments: lease extensions and capital purchases (including traffic devices) increased capital assets; the general fund rose by about $50,000 year‑over‑year; and the government‑wide ending net position was reported at about $1.3 million.