Robbinsville – Graham County just received the results from its annual audit and had cause to celebrate.
The report came back with no adverse findings, save one: the county missed the deadline to complete the audit. The county wasn’t alone in missing the deadline; some counties still haven’t complete their audits, county Finance Director Becky Garland said, blaming COVID-19 as the cause.
Graham County received a “clean opinion” in its audit report, which is the best opinion the county can receive. No instances of noncompliance or other matters were identified, and no material weaknesses or significant deficiencies were disclosed. The county continues to maintain a high fund balance, an important reserve for local government to provide cash flow during periods of declining revenues and to be used for emergencies and unforeseen expenditures.
The minimum threshold is a fund balance of 20 percent. The county’s fund balance was 46 percent in 2021.
“Graham County experienced significant challenges during the years ended June 30, 2021, and 2020 due to staffing issued caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,” the Board of Commissioners wrote in a March 1 letter, submitting its audit results to the state treasurer. “Graham County has three staff members dedicated to the finance function of the county. Two of the three members had to work remotely during periods of time whereby there were surges in cases due to one member being immunocompromised and due to limited facilities to allow for appropriate social distancing in our offices.”
Work-from-home schedules, limited internet connectivity, and inability to work face to face with staff “hindered progress on several major projects,” the board wrote.
The auditors themselves experienced staffing shortages because of COVID-19, the board said in its letter.
Opioid settlement
Graham County received a disbursement schedule of proceeds from a settlement with opioid pharmaceutical manufacturers. The county will receive $1.81 million over the next 17 years, with $45,399 arriving in the spring and $99,842 arriving in the summer. Subsequent payments will be paid out each summer and range from $60,843 to $98,112 – until summer 2031, when the annual payment will stabilize at $52,147 until the final payment in summer 2038.