Auditor’s report gives city finances top marks during Tuesday council meeting
By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio
Tuesday, March 9, 2021 — The City of Bardstown received a clean audit report from the city’s new auditors, RFH CPAs of Lexington.
The report was presented to the council members during its Zoom city council meeting Tuesday evening.
RFH’s audit report on the city’s finances for the year ending in June 2020 is “as good as it gets on financial statements,” RFH’s main auditor, Kevin Fischer, told the council. “All the numbers are good.”
In introducing Fisher to the council, Chief Financial Officer Aaron Boles said that RFH’s depth of its review far exceeded that of the city’s previous auditor.
The 2019 audit included findings of 11 areas that needed improvement in the city’s finances. The current 2020 audit included just two findings.
The first involved improvement of internal controls in the accounting deparmtment when handling cash transactions; the second finding involved the annual budget ordinance not including non-major city funds.
The first finding was identified early last year by the 2019 audit and and theft of city funds by the prior CFO. In regard to the second finding, the council took action Tuesday night to add those non-major city funds to the fiscal year 2020-21 budget.
Mayor Dick Heaton said that between the actions taken since the city’s new CFO arrived and the budget amendment approved Tuesday night, he is hopeful for no findings in the auditor’s report for the current fiscal year.
SYMPSON LAKE PERMITS. The council held first reading on an ordinance that will limit the number of free boating permits to senior citizens over age 65 to just one.
City Clerk Gary Little said that the original ordinance had no limit on the number of free boat permits seniors could request. After some people started requesting multiple boating permits, Little said there was concern that some people may be taking advantage of the fact that the ordinance did not state how many free permits a senior citizen could request.
Boating permits also include fishing privileges for occupants, however, a valid Kentucky fishing license is required to fish at the lake.
License stickers are issued in duplicate, and should be to the bow of the boat on both sides.
Boating permits for Nelson County residents are $50 per year for those under age 65. The permits are $100 annually for non-county residents under 65.
The second and final reading of the ordinance will take place at the council’s next meeting on Tuesday, March 23, 2021.
In other business, the council:
— expressed condolences to City Attorney Audrey Haydon for the loss of her husband, Muncie McNamara.
— approved a water and sewer request for a new townhome development called Sunset Village East. The development will be built on the Keene property across from American Fuji Seal.
— approved appointing Kevin Smith to fill the unexpired term of Dusty McCoy on the Bardstown Industrial Development Corp. (BIDC).
— approved Suzanne Hayden to the Historic Review Board. She will fill the unexpired term of Sumer Arlinghaus.
— approved reappointing RaShae Jennings to a one-year term on the Wickland board.
— heard from Councilman Bill Sheckles that the city’s Safety Committee will meet in person at City Hall at 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 11th.
NEXT UP. The council meets next at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 23, 2021.
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