State auditors will check the figures needed to complete the county’s next budget. Commissioners also approved a measure addressing monthly reconciliation of county accounts.
OKLAHOMA CITY — A correction to Oklahoma County’s accounting records reduced its reported available General Fund resources for fiscal 2027 by about $10.16 million. With an Oct. 8 budget deadline approaching, commissioners approved an agreement Wednesday for State Auditor Cindy Byrd’s office to establish figures the county can rely on.
The correction is one of two separate budget errors detailed in OK Politics Today’s earlier coverage. County Treasurer Butch Freeman told commissioners the county’s money is accounted for; the audit addresses errors in its financial records and budget figures.
The auditor’s engagement letter estimates the cost of this first phase at $22,000 to $26,000. Byrd’s office will examine the County Clerk’s Office from Jan. 1, 2025, through the present, identifying and correcting accounting or clerical errors in budget records, reports and accounts.
County Clerk Maressa Treat and Freeman will be required to attest to the resulting budget figures and available funding. The auditor will bill at standard hourly rates, plus expenses, so the estimate is not a fixed price.
Commissioners requested a two-stage audit Sept. 18. They called for a second engagement covering two earlier years after the immediate budget work is done. Wednesday’s agreement sets neither the scope nor the cost of that later review.
Commissioners also approved a revised resolution discussed but not adopted Sept. 18. It asks the clerk and treasurer to reconcile their account balances monthly. Commissioners added language to ensure the full board is involved in responses to state audit findings before approving the resolution Wednesday.
