Lavonia Receives 2014 Audit

By MJ Kneiser, WLHR Radio, Lavonia

The city of Lavonia has received another clean opinion from its auditors.

At its regular meeting on Monday evening, the Lavonia City Council and Mayor Ralph Owens heard from Chris Hollifield of the CPA firm of Rushton and Company in Gainesville.

He went over the city of Lavonia’s financial picture for 2014.

Hollifield began his presentation by telling the council that the city is in good financial shape.

According to Hollifield, the firm issued an unmodified or clean opinion on the city of Lavonia.

That means that the auditors did not have to modify the standard opinion letter in any way.

Hollifield went on to say that with all funds combined, the city of Lavonia’s net position is $13.4 million.

He said that includes all of Lavonia’s infrastructure and assets like vehicles, buildings, and land.

As for general fund expenses and revenues, Hollifield said that the city of Lavonia increased its expenses in 2014 by 4.2 percent.

He said the bulk of that was monies that went to the renovation of the historic Lavonia Cannery.

Hollifield said that, along with higher public safety expenditures, caused the overall increase in the city of Lavonia’s expenditures.

Meanwhile, Hollifield said that Lavonia’s city revenues for 2014 were flat, outpaced by the expenditures last year.

In 2014, Lavonia had $3.2 million in its general fund, which Hollifield says puts the city in good financial shape.

Overall, Hollifield said that Lavonia’s other funds have all increased, especially the water fund, and the city of Lavonia has a healthy reserve fund.