San Angelo's City Council approved the fiscal year 2023 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report and Single Audit in today's meeting. Mayor Brenda Gunter referred to page numbers in the document when she asked questions. The public in attendance and watching online did not have access to the CAFR to follow along. That's because the document was not included in the Council meeting background packet for 5-7-24. This occurred for the second year in a row.
Several years ago Council made it a strategic priority to increase various fund balances. Staff do not present a "financial year in review" at City Council prior to the CAFR. So for interested Council members this is the first time they've seen audited numbers. Mayor Gunter expressed this to other Council members who had gotten the report last week.
Council members get monthly Blue Book and Revenue and Expense accounting documents on a monthly basis. The September versions are essentially full year reports, although there may be year end adjustments. These documents used to be available to the public on the city website. They were removed in December 2018.
The next opportunity for the public to hear about city fund balances occurs during the strategic planning process. That information has rarely made the background packet. Will things change this year? So far, it's been more of the same minimalist approach to sharing financial information.
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