Shawver: City receives clean audit from state for first time in over 20 years

Auditor Karen Shawver announced that the city of Lorain received a clean audit from the Ohio Auditor of State in a report released on Oct. 20.

It is the city’s first clean audit in over 20 years, according to a news release.

The city received an unmodified opinion for its financial position as of Dec. 31, 2019.

The audit contained no findings or material weaknesses in the city’s financial records, the release said.

“Having a clean audit is a goal I set when I became Lorain’s auditor,” Shawver said in the release. “This is a major accomplishment and I am very proud that we were able to achieve this monumental task.

“Having no deficiencies in an audit is something most finance officials strive for and a testament of the city’s ability to manage taxpayer resources.”

The Ohio Auditor of State’s office reviews the methods, accuracy and legality of the accounts, financial reports, records and files of all public entities and found that the city’s financial statements “present fairly, in all material respects, the respective financial position of the governmental activities, the business-type activities, each major fund, and the aggregate remaining fund information of the City of Lorain as of Dec. 31, 2019,” according to the release.

“This audit is our reward for the diligence and commitment the entire Auditor’s office staff has had in their work performance throughout the year,” Shawver said. “I want to give a special thanks to Chief Deputy Auditor Anita Harper and Deputy Auditor Rob Swindell for their hard work and dedication to the City of Lorain.”

The full single audit report can be viewed on both the Ohio Auditor of State and the city of Lorain websites, the release said.