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ROBY - Fisher County officials received confirmation of the county’s strong financial position during their regular May 12 meeting, where a delayed audit presentation revealed a $1.9 million gain in net position and clean findings across the board.
The annual financial report was prepared by Robertson & Magee and delivered by CPA Cara Hilbrich. The report had been ready for presentation in April, but scheduling conflicts delayed the firm’s appearance until this month’s court meeting.
Hilbrich told commissioners the firm encountered no difficulties during the audit process and found no significant issues in the county’s financial records.
“It was a clean report,” said Hilbrich. “Your net position increased $1.9 million from last year to this year.”
She reviewed the audit scope and highlighted key comparisons between budgeted figures and actual outcomes. According to the report, revenues came in roughly $480,000 over budget. Expenditures finished about $680,000 below projections. The result, Hilbrich said, was a favorable budget variance of approximately $1 million.
Commissioner Micah Evans asked whether the spike in earnings was mostly attributable to investment income. Hilbrich said that was the case, and noted that many counties and municipalities are experiencing similar gains due to high interest rates.
“Investment earnings were budgeted at $76,000, and you got $400,000,” said Hilbrich. “And that’s just in the general fund.”
To provide a current picture, Treasurer Jeanna Parks reported that the county closed out April with $10.5 million in reconciled funds. She said most of the county’s reserves have been placed in a high-interest money market account, and that she monitors interest rates daily to adjust funds as needed.
“That’s with more than $37,000 in earned interest,” said Parks. “It’s a gain of 4.34% in the money market account.”
She said the county earned nearly $38,000 in interest in April alone. County Judge Ken Holt said the financial conditions are unusual but welcome.
“It’s a great thing, and it’s not gonna last forever,” said Holt.
Along with the numbers, Hilbrich walked the court through a letter accompanying the audit, which outlined new accounting guidance for subscription-based IT services. She said the updated standards required the county to reclassify an IT asset tied to its agreement with LGS but said the adjustment had already been reflected in the prior year and did not affect the current report.
She also emphasized that the county auditor and treasurer’s offices were helpful and well organized during the audit process.
With more than $7 million in fund balance and a strong year behind them, county officials are heading into the summer budget season with a sizable financial cushion. Commissioners took no action following the audit presentation, and no immediate plans for spending or reallocating the surplus were discussed during the meeting.
However, several ongoing issues — including law enforcement staffing, jail operations, and infrastructure needs — may soon return to the agenda as budget workshops get underway. The county is also expected to revisit its revenue estimates in July once certified tax values are released by the appraisal district.
For now, the court appears content to absorb the positive report, consider the options ahead, and let the numbers speak for themselves.