The Town of Smyrna plans to release a state audit report of their 2022 finances next week.
Town officials approached the State Auditor's office earlier this year requesting an internal performance audit for fiscal years 2022 and 2023.
The town doubled its property tax rate earlier this year to help close a $2 million deficit in this year’s budget, sparking backlash from residents, who voted out two incumbents on town council weeks later.
Mayor Robert Johnson says the 2022 results are completed, and will be discussed and released at council’s next meeting on August 5th. He says they requested the audits following a lot of changes in city management.
“And then we were a little behind getting the audit for ‘22 because we had changed finance directors twice, we changed town managers two times as well.”
Policy Advisor for the Office of Auditor of Accounts Sam Barry says they are not just auditing finances, but internal controls.
“So that’s basically helping the town figure out how they can best improve their processes and procedures to make sure that the way they handle their finances is effective, efficient, good for economy, that they’re following all the policies and procedures that are going to help them be successful," Barry says.
Barry says the review covers how the town is handling its finances, and ways it could improve, emphasizing they are not investigating any reports of wrongdoing.
“They came to us and asked for a little bit of help," Barry says. "So we are working with the town to do an audit and create a report that is going to be helpful for them going forward. Basically, we are there as a resource.”
The 2023 performance audit is expected to be finished and presented by the end of the year.
