Woodbury County auditors issue clean opinion on FY2025 financial statements; general fund reserves dip to about 89 days

Representatives from Williams & Company presented Woodbury County’s FY2025 annual comprehensive financial report and told supervisors the auditors issued a clean opinion: "the financial statements referred to above present fairly in all material respects," the report states.

Chad Rainier of Williams & Company walked the board through the report’s major sections, including the statement of net position, statements of activities, fund balance schedules and the statistical section. Rainier highlighted an $11.2 million unassigned general‑fund balance, which he said equates to about 89 days of operating reserves based on the county’s general‑fund expenses (down from roughly 102 days the prior year). "We kinda like to see anywhere between 90 to 120 days," Rainier told the board, adding the county remains in a healthy fund‑balance position despite the slight decline.

Rainier also noted federal awards reported at roughly $3.5 million this fiscal year, down from about $13 million the prior year, because the county spent a large share of ARPA funds in the previous reporting period. The report included one minor Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) comment requiring expanded notes to the financial statements and repeated a common journal‑entry finding that many clients experience.

The board moved to receive the annual comprehensive financial report. Dietrich made the motion, Bittinger seconded, and the motion to receive the report passed unanimously, 4‑0.

Rainier closed by noting ongoing technical changes from GASB standards that auditors review each year but said the new standard did not materially change the county’s financial statements for FY2025. The report includes separately issued statements for Siouxland District Health as a discretely presented component unit.