Hubbard County Auditor-Treasurer Kay Rave reported to the county board last week that the 2018 audit went well – the third audit completed by the Office of the State Auditor (OSA) within the past year.
“An ambitious goal,” she said. “We are on schedule to have that submitted to the federal government by the deadline, Sept. 30.”
Rave said she and county commissioner Dave De La Hunt were meeting Sept. 19 with OSA for an exit interview.
“Furthermore, this has even exceeded my expectations. We have decreased some of our findings even further than I thought we would. Segregation of duties has been a written finding forever. It’s going to be reduced to an oral or verbal – that’s a huge milestone that we’ve met,” Rave said. “Huge, huge goals are being met. It’s exciting.”
De La Hunt praised Rave for her judicious work “because there were several roadblocks early on that were thrown at us that were no small matters. We worked through them and were able to get it done. Good job.”
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County Coordinator Eric Nerness added, “It was a big decision for the board to make the move to OSA, but it’s really paid dividends.”
“In hindsight, it was the right decision,” Rave said.
“That’s a lot more clarity where we’re at,” De La Hunt agreed.
Previously, a private accounting firm conducted audits for the county. That contract was terminated in 2018 after then-State Auditor Rebecca Otto deemed fiscal year 2015 audit results by Hoffman, Philipp & Knutson “substandard” and grounds for her office to re-audit the eight counties that hired the Thief River Falls-based firm. County commissioners then authorized Rave to engage the Office of the State Auditor to work on the 2017 and 2018 audits.
