SPRINGFIELD -- At Tuesday's Effingham County Board of Commissioners meeting, County Administrator Steve Davis announced that the county's annual audit has been completed and shows that there were no control findings, indicating the county is in full compliance with various laws, regulations, contracts and grant agreements.

Davis said, “The audit reflects the efforts of the commissioners to adopt a fiscally sound budget and to provide prudent financial management for the entire year."

It also reports that overall revenues have increased and total governmental spending was less then the regional Consumer Price Index (CPI) and fund balances have improved. The audit, prepared by Lanier, Deal & Proctor, covers the period from July 1, 2016, through June 30, 2017.

Highlights of the audit include:

• Total governmental and enterprise Revenues of $57.9 million, an increase of $4.08 million or 7.58 percent above 2016.  The county’s general fund revenues of $29.4 million, an increase of $1.56 million or 5.59 percent and special local sales tax revenues $8.7 million, an increase of $515 thousand or 6.29 percent.

• Total governmental and enterprise expenses increased $1.29 million or 2.34 percent.  Adjusting for a legal settlement of $1.5 million, adjusted expenses of $57.8 million, a reduction from 2016 of $4.2 million or 6.84 percent, 2016 adjusted legal settlement of $7.02 million increased expenses to $62.0 million.

• Total governmental and enterprise fund balance increased for the county’s governmental and enterprise funds by $734 thousand or 1.96 percent.

• The general fund reported an increase of $1.37 million or 22.83 percent. This fund balance is 25.45 percent of the total general fund expenses and is reflective of adopting a balance budget and sound financial management.

• A complete copy of the report is available at http://www.effinghamcounty.org/Archive.aspx?AMID=48