COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – The Branch County Board of Commissioners heard a mostly positive 2016 audit at their work session Thursday. The report was delivered by Aaron Stevens from the East Lansing firm of Abraham and Gaffney.
Stevens said the county’s revenues last year were over $11.4 million which was an increase of less than one percent from 2015. Expenditures from 2016 decreased by three percent to over $10.3 million.
Stevens reported 57 percent of the general fund revenue came from property taxes.
The general fund balance as of December 31, 2016 was over $2.7 million with over $2.1 million being unassigned.
The Branch County fund balance was at 18.3 percent. It’s recommended that the fund balance be at 17 percent.
Commissioners disagreed last January over who should perform the audit. They voted 3-2 to have Abraham and Gaffney conduct the audit for the next three years, even though their $104,200 bid was about $28,000 more than two other firms. Abraham and Gaffney was recommended by a four person committee.
