External auditors deliver clean opinion on Cheektowaga finances for FY2025

Nick Petronek of Drescher & Malecki, the town’s external auditors, presented the results of the fiscal-year 2025 audit and told the board that accountants plan to issue a clean, unmodified opinion on both the town’s financial statements and the single audit of federal awards.

Petronek reviewed five-year trends for major funds: the garbage fund ended 12/31/2025 with about $2.1 million (a slight decrease year-over-year); the sewer fund had about $6.3 million with roughly $724,000 technically available; the highway fund ended 12/31/2025 with about $8.4 million in fund balance (roughly 43% available); and the general fund showed an unassigned fund balance of about $10.3 million, representing about 16% of annual expenditures.

He said the single-audit work identified no noncompliance and no questioned costs related to federal awards, and that a management letter outlining some recommendations and departmental observations will be delivered to the town. He also noted the town filed its annual comprehensive financial report (ACFR) on a timely schedule and acknowledged town finance staff for meeting reporting deadlines.

Board response: Council members thanked the auditing team and asked about how to get some of these figures earlier in the year to aid budget planning; Petronek said producing audited financials is a year-end process and suggested earlier internal reporting might help but acknowledged the effort required.

Implications: A clean audit supports the town’s fiscal position and borrowing capacity and provides the board and residents with an independent assessment of the town’s finances. The management letter — when issued — will contain more granular recommendations and departmental observations.