Auditing North Ogden: budget, reserves, debt payments and the audit, from the city's own records

North Ogden is a separate city from Ogden, with its own council, budget and redevelopment agency. This series reads North Ogden's own public records — budgets, audit reports, and council and audit committee minutes — and reports what they show. ^[1][2][6]

The budget

On June 16, 2026, the City Council voted unanimously to adopt Ordinance 2026-18, the fiscal 2026–27 budget, after removing $150,000 of proposed property tax revenue and reducing the sales tax projection by $90,000. ^[2]

The budget worksheets attached to the ordinance, printed June 17, list $12,303,800 in General Fund revenue and $12,303,700 in General Fund expenditures. ^[1]

Sales tax is the largest single General Fund revenue line in the worksheets, at $4,952,900. Finance Director Peter Brown told the council that sales tax remained the city's largest General Fund revenue source. ^[1][2]

The council also voted unanimously to adopt the certified property tax rate of 0.001307, which City Manager/Attorney Jon Call said was projected to generate $3,084,856. ^[2]

Reserves

The worksheets balance the General Fund in part with $323,300 listed as "beginning balance to be appropriated," which is money drawn from existing fund balance rather than new revenue. ^[1]

The worksheets' "actual" column for fiscal 2024–25 lists $11,984,926.15 in General Fund revenue and $10,859,886.16 in General Fund expenditures. Those are worksheet figures, not the audited financial statements. ^[1]

Debt payments

The Debt Service Fund budget for fiscal 2026–27 lists $414,400 in principal and $188,800 in interest on the 2021 and 2022 sales tax bonds, a total of $603,200. Most of that, $572,200, is a transfer from the General Fund. ^[1]

The records reviewed for this series do not state the total amount of debt the city owes. ^[1][3]

The audit

Gilbert & Stewart, CPA, PC, of Provo signed the independent auditor's report on the city's fiscal 2025 financial statements on Feb. 12, 2026. The report states that the financial statements "present fairly, in all material respects" the city's financial position as of June 30, 2025. ^[3]

The council voted unanimously on April 14, 2026, to accept the audit. The finance director described one compliance finding, regarding the timing of the city's Fraud Risk Assessment filing. Audit committee minutes from March 26 describe the finding as concerning the requirement to present the assessment to the council. ^[4][5]

The city's finance page lists the 2025 audit report as approved April 14, 2026. The Ledger could read only the auditor's report pages of that file, not the financial statements, notes or compliance report. ^[6][3]

Redevelopment

Brown told the Redevelopment Agency board on June 16 that the agency was nearing dissolution and requested approximately $2 million in budget authority to complete remaining projects. He said approximately $934,000 was available for future allocation in the separate Community Development Area fund. ^[2]

What this series covers

The first stories follow the June tax and reserve decision, the redevelopment agency's remaining money and one amended grant, the audit timetable and follow-up work, and a new garbage disposal agreement. Each story links the records it relies on. ^[2][1]