FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
To: News Media
From: Bamberg County Administration
Date: February 6, 2024
Re: Job Well Done! Bamberg County Earns Unmodified (clean) 2023 Audit
Bamberg, South Carolina (February 2024) – During last night’s County Council meeting, Controller/CPA Gina Smith and Audit Manager/CPA Will Walls of Love, Bailey, and Associates presented the FYE June 30, 2023 Bamberg County Audit Report.
Bamberg County earned an unmodified (clean) audit opinion for the ninth consecutive year, which demonstrates good fiscal stewardship and is the most important measure of financial stability. An unmodified audit provides a sense of pride for elected officials and employees, builds/confirms confidence in management, and positively impacts interest rates.
According to Controller Gina Smith, “Once again, Bamberg County has earned an unmodified audit opinion on our fiscal year-end financial statements. This exemplary result is achieved with a small but powerful team of employees who work diligently to follow appropriate financial policies, procedures, and GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles). GAAP is a set of rules, standards, and procedures issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board and the Governmental Accounting Standards Board. The ultimate goal of GAAP is to ensure that the County’s financial statements are complete, consistent, and comparable. I am proud to be a part of such a sincere, responsible, and successful team!”
Audit Manager Will Walls commended the entire Bamberg County Financial Staff: “Bamberg is so fortunate to have such a skilled financial team, which is not always possible for smaller counties with limited resources. Even larger counties struggle to recruit such top notch professionals. Honestly, Gina and the rest of the team have made my job much easier.” When asked by Chairman Evert Comer, Jr. if Bamberg’s financial team is as good as that of larger counties, Mr. Walls emphatically confirmed, “It is even better than some!”
Chairman Comer further expressed his pride in the 2023 audit: “Job well done! Many may not realize the significance a clean audit has on Bamberg County’s ability to continue to do business everyday while still growing the County economically.”
According to County Administrator Joey Preston, “Bamberg County completed its 2023 audit prior to December 31, 2023—earlier than ever before.” Preston continued, “For Bamberg County to complete our compliant audit in record time with a limited budget and staff is extraordinary. I am so thankful for the hard work of our financial team who has once again gone above and beyond the call of duty.”
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For more information on this press release, email info@bambergcounty.sc.gov.