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By JOYANNA LOVE/ Managing Editor

The Chilton County Commission has received a very favorable audit for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2019.

Commissioner Joseph Parnell gave an update on the audit, which was officially filed on Oct. 8 by the Department of Examiners of Public Accounts, during the commission’s Dec. 14 meeting.

“I am very proud of the fact that in 2019, we had a full audit up-to-date with no findings,” Parnell said.

The commission passed a resolution to post the audit on the county’s website.

“So, for the people in the county that want to know your money is being taken care of and accounted for the state auditors find no fault with the County Commission,” Parnell said.

The full audit can also be found on the Examiners of Public Accounts website.

Parnell said the county had also recently had an exit interview on a federal audit for 2020. A federal audit is conducted for years the county spends $750,000 or more in federal grants.

There were zero findings in this audit as well.

Chilton County Commission administrator Sylvia Singleton said the 2020 fiscal year audit by the state was complete this week and also had zero findings. She said final results will be released in a few weeks.

Singleton attributed the positive audit reports to employees and updated financial software.

“All staff members have worked together for almost 4 years to change or improve procedures — organizing, prioritizing and correcting financial and business policies and procedures,” Singleton said. “We have just completed three years of compliance audits and four years of financial audits — the last two with no findings. As each audit was in progress or finished, we corrected all issues as they arose, as well as developed internal controls.”

Staff also took on additional assignments to make the changes needed.

“Our commissioners have been supportive and accommodating to make sure we have had the personnel and tools to carry out our jobs,” Singleton said.

Also during the Dec. 14 meeting:

• Jaqueline Sullivan and Jason Calhoun were proposed as nominations for the vacancy on the Industrial Development Authority board.
• Passing on a portion of insurance savings to those with family medical coverage was approved.
• The Commission approved allowing the DAV to use the former Red Cross building.
• Staffing related requests from department leaders were approved.
• The Commission approved a self-serve ice service machine for Higgins Ferry Park.