The City of Williamsport had a clean audit report for 2024, with an adverse opinion due to incomplete records from the Williamsport Parking Authority.

The report was prepared by independent auditor MaherDuessel and some on city council viewed it as a step forward as the city positions itself for potential borrowing needs.

The audit showed no significant corrected misstatements and no disagreements/difficulties with management in performing audit procedures for the year, essentially a clean and unmodified opinion on government funds, business-type activities, each major fund and the aggregate remaining fund information, according to Dustin Starr, auditor.

Auditors had an adverse opinion on the aggregate discretely presented component unit.

This is consistent with prior year results, with adverse opinion based on the exclusion of the Williamsport Parking Authority which is not included in the financial reporting, Starr said.

“Under government accounting standards that entity should be included within the financial statements,” he said. That information is not readily available, or up to date, for calendar year 2024, therefore there is an adverse opinion and related findings regarding the reporting from the authority, he said.

The report included a single audit, communication to those charged with governance, state Department of Community and Economic Development annual report, a legal ad, and a single audit data collection form and a copy of the single audit to the federal clearinghouse.

The audit is indicative of the steps promised by Mayor Derek Slaughter to ensure the city was on stable financial footing after years of proven criminality in a prior city administration.

Jamie Livermore, city finance director, assured the council recently that preparations are underway for the 2025 audit report which is expected to be provided in draft form to council later this year.

The 2026 budget included a half-mill property tax increase as part of a two-year bridge budgeting plan.