City of Perry ensures financial transparency with in-depth audits

The city's Annual Comprehensive Finance Report doesn’t just show numbers, but also uses statistics to explain financial trends and how the city’s money is used.

PERRY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Anyone interested in learning about how the City of Perry generates revenue or spends taxpayer dollars can trust that the city’s financial reports are accurate and thorough.

This year, Perry was awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association (GOFA) for the city’s Fiscal Year 2022 Comprehensive Financial Report.

According to Perry’s Finance Director, Mitchell Worthington, the report is about transparency.

“It holds us accountable every year, knowing that every year all of our raw data is going to get put out on the table, so we want to make sure we’re doing the best we can to spend the citizens’ money correctly,” Worthington said.

At the end of each fiscal year, the city’s finance department compiles a report of its assets, income and spending to make sure all of the city’s expenses have been accounted for.

Then, city administration sends the report to a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) to be audited. Once the audit is complete, it is sent to the GOFA to be certified.

What sets Perry apart from other cities is that its finance report doesn’t just show numbers but also uses statistics to explain financial trends and how the city’s money is used.

“It really gives a full picture to anyone who wants to pick up that book and see what’s going on in this city, anything that would affect our finances,” Worthington explained.

Since 1996, Perry has been recognized by the Government Finance Officers Association for its financial reports and has been awarded the certificate of excellence every fiscal year since 2007.

City Manager Lee Gilmour says another benefit of being certified by the GOFA is that it saves the city money on loans.

“It can be a significant difference relative to what we have to pay for interest based on having this certification compared to if we didn’t,” Gilmour said.

Gilmour says it’s important to thoroughly document and externally review finances because it clearly indicates any problems or successes with Perry’s financial standing.

For residents, he says it provides a resource to engage with city government and answer any questions about how the city spends its money.

“It is an acknowledgement and a credit for our staff in the finance department about what an outstanding job that they are doing, and have the complete trust of the citizens, councilmen, everyone,” he said.

Perry recently finished preparing for its Fiscal Year 2023 audit, and Worthington says he is confident the city will receive the Certificate of Achievement again next year.

Click here for a full list of Perry’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Reports.