At the regular board meeting of the Timber Mesa Fire and Medical District (TMFMD) on December 18, 2023, the Fire Board received a presentation of the Fire District’s annual comprehensive financial report (ACFR) including the annual financial audit from the district’s auditing firm BeachFleischman PLLC. BeachFleischman PLLC is one of the top-rated auditing firms in Arizona for public agencies like the fire district. For its part, the Fire Board approved the ACFR, and the audit findings as presented.
An ACFR is not required of fire districts, but as Chief Randy Chevalier reported, and the auditor confirmed, it is something the organization has committed to in order to provide greater clarity and transparency for the residents of the fire district concerning the district’s finances. TMFMD has been awarded for the sixth year in a row, Government Finance Officers Association award for excellence in financial reporting for fiscal 2022.
This year the fire district received an “unmodified” or clean audit opinion. An unmodified audit opinion is the best form of audit result available. It is remarkable to note that since the fire district’s inception in 2014, Timber Mesa has received clean audit opinions for each fiscal year (FY). The fire district’s FY spans from July 1 to June 30 each year.
For the FY ending June 30, 2023, the fire district was required to undergo a “single audit” because of receiving more than $750,000 in federal grant funds. As reported by the auditor, Lydia Hunter, a single audit is “a deeper dive into the fire district’s internal controls, and accounting for grant revenues and expenditures.” Like the annual audit findings, the single audit results were also “unmodified”.
The ACFR, inclusive of the financial audit and single audit findings are posted on the district’s website and will be available for review upon request at the fire district’s administration offices.
Fire Chief Randy Chevalier stated “Our purpose is to serve the community and our members take great pride in serving those in need. A critical aspect of our service is fiscal responsibility and transparency. I believe the results of the audits are a strong example of our commitment to being a fiscally responsible and transparent organization.”
The Timber Mesa Audit is available by clicking here.
Mountain Daily Star Staff Reports