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East Point managers flag audit delays and tight fiscal choices as they present FY27 budget
Summary
City leaders presented FY27 departmental budgets at a special June 23 council meeting, noting progress on parks and infrastructure but warning that delayed audits and constrained revenues require prioritizing projects and restoring key internal controls before new capital spending proceeds.
Mayor Chapman convened a special called meeting June 23 for the City of East Point to review departmental FY27 budget requests and to discuss next steps for outstanding audits and capital projects. City Manager briefed council on recent treasury changes intended to increase interest earnings and said finance staff were working to bring previously deferred deliverables — notably the 2024 audit — to completion.
Why it matters: several departments said they cannot complete planned purchases or start projects until auditors finish their testing. Chief among those delays, the police department said a draft audit is required before vehicles requested last year can be purchased; the city manager confirmed the auditors are offering to work on multiple years simultaneously, but final delivery dates remain uncertain.
Framing and totals: managers across departments reported dozens of capital requests submitted earlier this year that exceeded realistic revenue expectations. The city manager said departments initially submitted roughly $30+ million in requests; finance and the manager’s office reworked those asks against more conservative revenue projections and cross‑fund dependencies to produce a balanced operating plan. That exercise reduced or defers many capital items to future years, while calling attention to enterprise‑specific shortfalls — notably in the electric fund — that will require targeted transfers or rate adjustments.
What leaders said: City Manager explained that prior practice had leaned on fund balance to cover shortfalls and that stricter alignment between projected revenues and capital plans is necessary. Interim Finance staff described planned improvements: a cost‑allocation study, a public budget dashboard (OpenGov) and the addition of a budget analyst and internal audit capacity.
What’s next: Council members pressed for clearer, itemized breakdowns of salary and vendor lines (requested by several legislators) and for timelines on outstanding audits. Finance said a mid‑year amendment process will be used to adjust travel, training and other one‑time items when clearer actuals are available. The finance director projected the 2024 audit could be completed in coming weeks, with a likely public delivery date in July or August, depending on auditors’ internal transitions. If the auditors can provide a draft package sooner, the city may be able to proceed with delayed purchases earlier.
Council action: No final budget vote was taken at the June 23 meeting; the presentations and follow‑up requests will inform the council’s upcoming budget decisions and any targeted amendments to ensure legal and fiscal compliance.
