The City of Guthrie received a “clean audit opinion” for its Fiscal Year 2023 financials from Baldwin CPAs Tuesday night.
Auditor Drew Ulmer, confirmed that during that fiscal year, the city is in good financial health with funds exceeding liabilities.
The audit highlighted two main findings, raised by Andrea Milkowski:
- Lack of Segregation of Duties: A common issue for small cities due to limited staffing. City Clerk Alison Blumel assured the council that multiple people handle financial duties, with checks requiring two signatures, a practice supported by Attorney Jeff Traughber and Harry Green as the best a small city can do.
- $98,000 Payroll Tax Oversight: Funds collected from Novelis in Q2 2023 were shown as not paid to the county as required by an interlocal agreement. Blumel attributed this to a recording mistake, where the funds were accidentally put into the wrong accounting line item. She confirmed the error has been corrected, the county has been paid, and the city is fully compliant.
Milkowski also asked about hiring an independent CPA firm for monthly reviews, a possibility the auditor confirmed would enhance ongoing oversight…