Auditor issues clean opinion on Talbot County annual comprehensive financial report

The Talbot County Council received the annual comprehensive financial report and an audit presentation from Martha Sparks, the county’s finance director, and Chris Lehman, the engagement partner from SB & Company.

Lehman told the council the firm had "issued a clean or what's termed unmodified opinion" on the county’s financial statements for the year ending June 30, 2025, and said auditors found no instances of fraud or material weaknesses in internal controls during their procedures. He noted that the single audit required for federal funding in excess of $750,000 was still underway and that a data collection form will be submitted to the federal government once the single audit is complete.

Sparks highlighted report sections the council may wish to review, including the management discussion and analysis, fund balance reserves (reported in accordance with a reserve policy adopted in February 2025), long‑term debt, notes to the financial statements, and a statistical section providing multi‑year trends. Lehman summarized key processes reviewed—treasury, payroll, revenue, fixed assets and IT—and stated the auditors concluded the control environment to be effective for the period under audit.

Council discussion was largely congratulatory: council members and the county administrator commended finance staff and the audit team for their work. No council action was required; the presentation was accepted.