Kirstin Hoogerwerf, CPA and Certified Government Financial Manager with Rehmann told Barry County Commissioners Tuesday that, for 2016, the county earned a “clean, unmodified opinion of its financial statements, that’s the highest level we can give you…”

 

Hoogerwerf highlighted parts of the 200-plus page draft audit, also explaining a second audit required when an entity has $750,000 or more in federal expenditures; Barry County had $1,231,504 in such expenditures in 2016.

 “In our opinion, the schedule of expenditures of federal awards is fairly stated in all material respects in relation to the basic financial statements as a whole,” the report said of the second audit.

 

On Wednesday, Hoogerwerf issued a correction to one of the findings in the draft audit in a letter to Administrator Michael Brown, copied to Register of Deeds Barb Hurless.

Hoogerwerf's letter to Brown said, in part:

“In discussing Finding 2016-001, Community Development Block Grant Loan Administration, I indicated that timely communication from the Register of Deeds office was the recommended course of corrective action.

 

“While the Register of Deeds office does have information on property sales and foreclosures, it is only for the purpose of maintaining public records. Further, the Register of Deeds office only receives information on a property sale or foreclosure after the action has already taken place…neither the control deficiency, nor the error resulting from the control deficiency, relate to officials or employees of the Register of Deeds office.” The language of the Finding was revised to eliminate any reference to the Register of Deeds office.

 

“Please accept my deepest apologies for the misunderstanding and any trouble it may have caused to the County, its elected officials, or employees,” she wrote. //

 

In other business, the commission recommended approval of the 2017-2018 annual implementation Plan for Region 3B CareWell Services Southwest (formerly the Area

Agency on Aging) prepared by Program Manager Stacy Wines and presented by CEO Karla Fales.

 

The proposed plan documents goods, services and funding for older adults in Barry and Calhoun counties. After it is approved by the county the plan is sent to the Michigan Commission on Services to the Aging for its approval.