Audit Failure

At the June 1 City Council meeting, and earlier in the day by email to the Audit Advisory Committee, City Finance Manager Carol McDermott and City Manager Casey Lucius informed the Council that the 2025 Audited Financial Statements will barely be completed by June 30, the deadline required by Florida law for filing with the State. Equally troubling, the statements will not be available for review by the Audit Advisory Committee or City Council until July 6, 2026.

I have reviewed every set of financial statements posted on the City's website going back to 2004. This will be the latest that the audit has been completed and available for public review in over 20 years, matching the same unacceptably late date from last year.

Consider what that means. After the internal control issues and accounting irregularities that came to light previously, the City has had nine full months to complete this audit, and preparation should have begun even earlier. Will we find the same problems again, only worse? The accounting department has been understaffed and is working with newer personnel. That is all the more reason City leadership should have secured additional assistance from the City's auditors, outside accountants, or accounting firms well in advance.

So whose responsibility is it to ensure the audit is completed on time, with sufficient opportunity for the Audit Advisory Committee and City Council to review it before filing? The responsibility falls clearly on City Manager Casey Lucius and City Council Chairman Darrin Palumbo.

We are already eight months into the next fiscal year. Will the same thing happen again?

Marco Island deserves better.