The Athens City Council received the City's annual audit Monday evening.

The City received an unmodified opinion, which is the highest level of assurance, according to auditor Jon Watson of BrooksWatson & Co. Mr. Watson credited the Finance Department and City Staff for its work.

"(Finance Director) Mandie Quigg, (City Manager) Elizabeth Borstad, and their team really do a good job," he said. "They are very detail-oriented, and we're very happy with their effort to get us everything we needed."

Mr. Watson walked the Council through the audit, highlighting the City's $3.36 million council-designated emergency reserve. 

On the expense side, Mr. Watson said 46 percent of the City's expenditures are spent on Public Safety (Police and Fire), and 23 percent on Public Works.

Mr. Watson pointed out that the City spent less than budgeted last year while bringing in more revenue than expected. He said most of the additional revenue came from increased sales tax receipts.

He said the City saw an overall increase in its net position of $4.45 million for the year.

City Manager Elizabeth Borstad and the City Council complimented the Finance Department for the positive audit result.

"I want to thank Mandie and her staff because she works hard during audit time, but she and her crew work hard all year long, and that's what makes the audit so much easier," said Mrs. Borstad.

The audit report is on the City website's Financial Transparency page.