City manager says FY22 audit moving forward; calls for auditors to appear once report is final

City Manager Bill Reid told the City Council on May 4 that the FY22 audit is now principally in the hands of Merina & Associates and Umpqua Valley Financial (UVF) after a delay caused by a misunderstanding between the firms. Reid said staff have completed FY23 journal entries so that FY23 financial statements can proceed promptly once FY22 is closed, and he characterized the FY22 audit as "out of staff's hands at this point." Reid revised an earlier optimistic timeline and said the audit "shouldn't take more than two more weeks" absent unusual communication issues.

Councilor Anna Warrington pressed for a timeline and asked whether auditors could attend a council meeting to present findings; Reid said the auditors would appear once the report is complete, likely remotely, and that the attendee would be the CPA project manager rather than the UVF representative who previously attended. During public comment, Linda Galas-Merten of Strong Towns North Plains urged that auditors be permitted to answer council questions without limitation and recommended that the acting finance director ensure a UVF representative attends council meetings until audits are current. She also supported a color-coded monthly financial statement to help the public quickly identify where targets are being met or where payments merit additional scrutiny.

The Council expressed a desire to have auditors present as soon as the audit report is finalized. No date for an auditor presentation was set during the meeting.