EATON — The City of Eaton was presented with an Auditor of State Award during the Monday, April 15, city council meeting.

Joe Braden, West Regional Liaison for Ohio Auditor of State Keith Faber, presented the award to Eaton Finance Director Stephanie Hurd.

According to Braden, the Auditor of State Award is presented to local governments and school districts upon the completion of a financial audit that meets specific criteria of a “clean” audit report.

“It is my honor to be here tonight on behalf of Ohio Auditor Keith Faber to present the City of Eaton with the Auditor of State Award,” Braden said during his presentation. “Mayor, it’s great to be here again, keyword being ‘again.’ The Auditor of State’s Office loves to do good clean audits and the city of Eaton provides that annually.”

“It’s important to note that this award puts the City of Eaton in a very select group,” Braden said. “The Auditor of State audits nearly 6,000 entities and very few of those entities that are audited are even eligible for this award. The Auditor of State Award is presented to local governments and school districts upon the completion of a financial audit which meets the following criteria of a clean audit report. I like to read through this criteria mayor, because it kind of lets everybody know in the audience what the City of Eaton and your financial staff went through.”

Braden read the list of criteria which includes filing the report by the due date in accordance with the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP); the report not containing any findings for recovery, material citations, material weaknesses, significant deficiencies, uniform guidance findings or questioned costs; and the management letter containing no comments related to ethics referrals, questioned costs less than the threshold, lack of timely public meetings or public records issues, bank reconciliation issues, and the entity having no other financial or other concerns.

“This award represents the hard work of all your City of Eaton employees here, and the financial staff who make an effort each day to attain accounting excellence,” Braden said. “I want to recognize the council members, recognize the city manager, and the mayor that have done an outstanding job watching over every dollar here.

“I’d especially like to recognize your finance director Stephanie Hurd for her outstanding leadership, for her professionalism, and her exceptional commitment to fiscal integrity. Congratulations,” he continued.

“Stephanie, it’s a wonderful thing that you do for us here at City,” Mayor Matt Venable added. “And I appreciate everything you do, and especially everybody, all the leadership, with their budgets and their purchasing — I think we do a good job. Thank you, Stephanie.”

“I will say that we have really good staff, in the finance department, and all the division heads work really well together, or we wouldn’t have this award,” Hurd said.

“It makes our jobs pretty easy when everything runs fine. So thank you,” Venable concluded.

Reach Eddie Mowen Jr. at 937-683-4061 and follow on X @emowenjr.