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State auditors give Pataskala City an unmodified audit; recommend sunshine training and IT controls
Summary
State audit representatives told Pataskala City Council the year-ending audit was unmodified and found no reportable findings, and they recommended periodic sunshine/open-records training, a clarified blanket purchase-order threshold and strengthened IT controls for city systems.
State audit representatives told the Pataskala City Council that the city's independent financial audit for the year ending Dec. 31, 2025, received an unmodified opinion and was released to the public, while the auditors offered several management recommendations.
"It was unmodified, which means that there were no issues that we found with the city," Bethany, a state auditor representative, told the council during an exit conference presentation. The auditors said the report and supporting documents have been posted and that council members or staff may contact the auditors with questions.
Why it matters: An unmodified audit opinion indicates the auditors did not find material misstatements in the city's financial statements. The auditors used the exit conference to highlight non-reportable recommendations the council could address to strengthen operations and compliance.
What the auditors recommended: The presenter identified three categories of management suggestions. First, the auditors urged that each council member or an assigned designee complete periodic sunshine-law and public-records training to ensure procedures and disclosures meet statutory requirements. Second, the auditors said the city's blanket purchase-order policy lacks a stated dollar threshold and recommended the council add a clear numerical threshold. Third, the auditors flagged information-technology controls: they recommended reviewing password parameters and verifying that third-party platforms used by departments (the transcript referred to the parks registration platform) have adequate access and security controls.
Council members asked whether training could be arranged locally. The auditor representative said the attorney general's office administers sunshine and public-records training and that online and in-person options are available; the auditor suggested the council contact the attorney general's office to explore group-session options.
The auditors thanked city staff for cooperation during the process and provided contact information for follow-up. The presentation concluded with the auditors offering to answer additional questions by phone or email.
