Luzerne County audit won’t be released by today’s deadline

Luzerne County’s 2019 audit won’t be completed by today’s June 30 deadline as stipulated in the county’s home rule charter, but it should be ready within a few days, officials said Monday.

County Manager C. David Pedri said the delay primarily stems from the inability of outside auditors to perform some onsite work during the coronavirus pandemic.

Several outside companies are involved because the main audit is completed by Plymouth Meeting-based CliftonLarsonAllen LLP, while others handle component audits for human service departments and various county-related agencies, he said.

Pedri predicts the audit will conclude the county ended 2019 within budget or with a surplus — not a deficit. The audit also should be unqualified, which means is is more thorough, complete and in compliance with generally accepted accounting standards, he said.

Council Chairman Tim McGinley said Monday that a CliftonLarsonAllen representative informed him the audit is finished but must undergo a final internal independent review. That internal review started Monday and typically takes two to four days, but it can run longer if an issue is identified, McGinley said.

The county’s 2018 audit was late and not completed until August 2019. Both the 2017 and 2018 audits were late due to issues resolving the accounting of transfers to and from outside county agencies — a problem that has been remedied, officials have said.

In a related topic, the county is seeking proposals for a new company to complete the 2020 audit next year.

Under the charter, the county must change auditors at least every four years, and this is the fourth year for CliftonLarsonAllen, McGinley said.

Auditing firms interested in the work must submit a proposal by 3 p.m. July 28, the posting says.