Atlantic County boasts 25 years of 'perfect' audits

NanetteG

Pixabay For the 25th consecutive year, an independent auditor did not find any weaknesses or deficiencies in its review of financial transactions of Atlantic County government offices and institutions. “Twenty-five prefect audits, top-tier bond ratings, economic diversification – these are among the many reasons Atlantic County is the best run county in the state,” said Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson, who along with the Board of County Commissioners oversee an annual budget in excess of $262 million. “Few, if any, local governments can match our record of performance.” The audit was conducted over a period of several months. Atlantic County uses a competitive bidding process to select an independent auditor and changes firms every three years, a practice Levinson implemented upon becoming county executive. “Not changing auditors is like allowing a student to mark his own paper - he tends to score higher,” Levinson said in a release. “We’re confident in our financial policies and procedures, but if something is not right, we want to know. Our obligation is to our taxpayers.” Levinson acknowledged county Treasurer Bonnie Lindaw, fiscal support staff and budget staff, who work in cooperation with departments to develop manageable budgets that are sensitive to county taxpayers. Levinson commended the Board of County Commissioners and Chairwoman Maureen Kern for working throughout the year to maintain conservative fiscal management policies while meeting the needs of residents with quality programs and services. “I am extraordinarily proud of what we have accomplished as a team," he said. "When you do the right thing for the right reasons, it shows. And that’s what we continue to do.”