Under NorCo's Home Rule Charter, an independent certified public accountant appointed by County Council must audit the county's financial records every year and report back. County Council received that report on Wednesday from Jennifer Cruverkibi of MaherDuessel. She issued an unmodified (clean) audit opinion for 2025, which is the highest level of assurance available.
She reports that the county's overall financial equity declined by approximately $9.9 million, ending 2025 at $164 million. Long-term debt increased by $15.4 million, ending the year at $93.7 million. This increase is the result of a new bond issue that was used to refinance existing debt and fund capital improvements that include a new parking deck at the courthouse complex. The county has only used 5.67% iof its legally auythorized borrowing capacity.
Government revenues increased approximately 6%. Only 26.1% of county revenue comes from taxes. Most revenue is in the form of federal and sate grants.
Where does the money go? About 85% goes to Human Services, the courts and corrections.
The county ended 2025 with a fund balance of $20.8 million. This includes an $8.5 million rainy-day fund. This does exceed two months of operating expenses, which is recommended by the Government Officers Finance Association.
This report is available online
28 comments:
Good thing McClure and Barron weren’t around to screw this up !
That's nice but beware NORCO residents. The big tax increase is just around the corner. McClure's unsustainable 8 year no tax increase/smoke & mirror antics will come back to haunt you. Add to that TZ/councils gracedale and new high priced positions follies are going to bite you right in the wallet.
Lamont left the County in great financial shape. Tara has a small tax increase, say 1 mil., and she’ll be able to run the county the way SHE wants and all will be well.
“She issued an unmodified (clean) audit opinion for 2025…”
Don’t you mean an ‘unqualified opinion’ or did you intentionally change it so that people wouldn’t confuse it with an opinion about Zrinski?
Smoke and mirrors. That's the lowest general fund balance in about 20 years. Then Council took from it in January to cover loses at the nursing home. Had Lamont not skipped the recommended pension payment; they would be down to about 2 weeks, not 2 months. Ron Heckman was spot on. One positive note is that Gracedale ran an operating deficit of $3.6 million in 2025 vs. $10 million in 2024.
You are a moron who argues my taxes should go up to have the pension fund be a billion dollars instead of 700 million.
9:33 AM.......you are correct in your analysis. Ron Heckman showed his patriotic colors when he promoted a tax increase for this year. Remember what Council told us at the budget hearings. McClures budget didn't provide for the vacant positions at the prison (estimated to be about 50), the shortcomings at Gracedale (tens of millions needed to correct those shortcomings not including the mismanagement), screwing almost 2,000 employees by not paying proper and competitive wages, screwing the retirees by not funding the pension obligations properly (more than ten million dollars) and the County short fall for their medical (another eight million dollars). Heckman is a very conservative democrat and he saw the handwriting on the wall. Thanks Ron. Your colleagues should have listened to you. Instead, next year is going to be disaster for taxpayers, employees, and those dependent on County services.
If McClure had raised taxes, you’d be denouncing that instead.
All lies. For example, there is more than enough money in the Prison budget to hire the full complement of CO’s. But, in my opinion, due to the greed and corruption of the screws, they keep running the new recruits off.
Add 38 to those CO positions at the jail. The jail is in the worse shape ever. If the public even knew or cared.
Lol. They can't even get any in the door. And when you do get in there are mandated damn near every day you work. No one has to tell them to run.
There is no money in the prison budget. They can't even order a chair rite now. Lol
What the hell is a SCREW????
8 million in health insurance. What are you talking about ? You’re absolutely devoid of reality. And, if you think the tax paying public thinks County employees are underpaid, you don’t know many of them. The most hilarious thing about the pay employees more crowd, many of them don’t even live in the County. You probably don’t. That’s why you’re for soaking Granny some more. You really should go work somewhere else.
Well this county employee does live in county. Northampton county is self insured. The reason the medical fund is in trouble is because the salaries didn't keep up with inflation. And medical cost did go up with inflation. The more a county employee makes the more money goes into the fund. Since you're big red buddy didn't give raises that kept up with inflation now it has to come out of tax payers and higher percentage raises for employees.
And is this the same person that said the screws are tell employees to leave??? Because that is exactly what you just told them to do. Lol
That had to be Kraft making that stupid comment
This is actually an audit of McClure and Barron’s final year. Another clean audit. What a legacy! They were right all along.
The budget does fully fund the vacancies at the jail in 2025. That is what this is - an audit of 2025 finances. It appears to me that McClure did well in his final year managing county finances, and equally clear that a tax hike will be needed this year to fund Gracedale, retirement accounts skyrocketing medical costs and pay more to county employees.
Give Steve Barron credit too. He’s regularly lied about on this blog. Everyone assumed he left and this audit would show why. Well it’s a great audit for Steve. I know he’s proud of it, but not as proud as he is to be umpire of the year.
How is that?? The jail is to have 212 officers. They budget for 170?? How does that fill all the positions?? Guessing if they said they need 100 they would be over staffed. Lol. Just let the lawsuits keep piling up. That will cost county taxpayers more then paying the COs
Does that audit say that employee pension plan is 97% funded ? Don’t you dare raise my taxes to fund it at 100% !
It is a fact, that in exit interviews, recently hired Corrections Officers who are leaving, are reporting that the Corrections Officers that are “training” them are advising the trainees to “run.”
I could be mistaken about the number of officers funded, but this is about the audit of the 2025 financial year, not the 2026 budget.
8:36, How do you know this is a fact unless you are either in HR or the previous or current admin? But let's assume that what you are saying is true. There could be several reasons. Sure, it could be an attempt to drive them away and grab more OT. While I'm sure the paychecks are nice, it is hard to live a normal life when you are working 16 hours a day. So I think that's mostly untrue. It could also be the honest opinion of many COs that working at a jail is not for everyone, and it isn't. They could be warning these newcomers exactly what to expect, which could be motivational or could drive some away. You do not help yourself by referring to COs as "screws" or accusing them of greed or corruption. If you have proof, why weren't these COs fired or at least prosecuted? I think you just alienate people with that kind of blather.
The thing is the audit doesn't actually cover whether the County is managed well and is in good financial shape. It just covers whether good accounting practices are followed and has spot checks for actual fraud. You could be running county finances into a black hole and still get an "unqualified" audit.
So what. Food prices rise, gas prices rise, the cost of your Starbucks coffee rises and you don’t complain. Taxes at times have to rise also. Don’t forget the county has employees that they pay to help protect and provide services for residents such as yourself when needed. They deserve a living wage also! Complain, complain, complain ..
The pension is most definitely not funded to 97%. 90? Maybe and that is amazing being average municipal and county retirement plans are funded about 77-80%. You must be a resident who complains about taxes also. Doubt they raise taxes to fund the pension account wish is in tip top shaper but if they do, so be it! Employees are entitled to those funds for dealing with residents such as you. Must be a peach!
Yeah BERNIE, give steve credit, Tara should have hired him to get through this budget season, guess she doensn't need that position filled after all. she can do everything by herself.
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