Audit advisory committee, auditors set Feb. 15 delivery and March 1 field work for FY26 audit

The Audit Advisory Committee and external auditors laid out a firm timeline for the fiscal 2026 audit, with the city aiming to deliver trial balances and required audit requests to CLA by Feb. 15 and CLA planning to begin field work on March 1.

Chris Kessler, the lead auditor, told the committee that "the trial balances and all of the audit requests will be to CLA by February 15 and we will start our field work by March 1 with the intention of, issuing really by the end of May," a schedule intended to leave time for committee and council review before the state deadline. Finance Director Marcia Solo and CLA both emphasized a protocol for weekly check-ins and early communication if milestones slip so the group does not face repeat last-year delays.

Committee members asked for a detailed milestone checklist and suggested a Gantt-style view that assigns responsibilities and dates so problems can be raised early. Marcia Solo said the finance team is being conservative in its internal commitments to avoid overpromising to CLA: "We're going to upfront, not overpromise when we're going to give it to them." The committee agreed to reserve the right to convene extra meetings if the weekly updates identify off-track items.

The timeline discussion included operational details: city staff will aim to have major deliverables ready for CLA, CLA will sample and follow up during March–May, and the committee will receive periodic status reports. The committee and auditors agreed that clear, early communication is the key to preventing the cascading delays the city experienced in prior years.