Continuing story · Helper: audit, budget transfer and water loan · all updates, newest first →
Helper: audit, budget transfer and water loan · From the recordsHelper's fiscal 2025 audit reports three funds over budget
Helper's fiscal 2025 audit reports that the Municipal Building Authority fund spent $459,331 on a public works building project with no adopted appropriation, and that the sewer and garbage funds also exceeded their budgets.
Continuing storyHelper: audit, budget transfer and water loan
Three Helper funds spent more than their adopted budgets in the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025, according to the city's audited financial statements. The largest overrun was $459,331 in the Municipal Building Authority fund. [1]
The notes to the statements say the authority's overrun was "a result of the public works building project, for which no appropriation had been adopted." [1]
What the audit lists
The authority's budget comparison shows $101,000 in final budgeted spending and $541,951 in actual spending. The difference is $459,331 in capital outlay, which had no budget line, partly offset by $18,380 less debt service than budgeted. [3]
The sewer fund exceeded its budgeted expenditures by $52,249 and the garbage fund by $28,332. Two capital projects funds, the general capital projects fund and the Rio Hotel capital projects fund, spent $4,317 and $70 with no budget adopted. [1]
The auditor reported the overruns as finding 2025-1, citing the Utah Code requirement that governments operate within legally adopted budgets. It recommended that the council review budget-versus-actual reports and amend budgets as needed. [2]
Management responded that "the City Council will periodically assess the accuracy of the annual budget by fund and by department." [2]
How the building was financed
The authority recorded $519,000 in loan proceeds and $233,000 in intergovernmental revenue in fiscal 2025. Neither was in its final budget. [3]
The city's debt note lists a 2024 taxable lease revenue loan of $519,000 at 0% interest, maturing July 1, 2055. The management discussion describes it as a loan "for the public works building." [4][6]
The authority's fund balance went from a deficit of $197,307 to $81,680 by the end of the year. [3]
The auditor said it found no deficiencies it considered material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in internal control over compliance, and its compliance opinion was not modified because of the finding. [5]
Figures come from Helper City's audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025, as filed with the Utah State Auditor.
Sources
- Helper City · FY2025 financial statements, Note 7, budget variance storage.googleapis.com
- Helper City · FY2025 financial statements, findings and management responses storage.googleapis.com
- Helper City · FY2025 financial statements, MBA special revenue fund budget and actual storage.googleapis.com
- Helper City · FY2025 financial statements, Note 4, long-term obligations storage.googleapis.com
- Helper City · FY2025 financial statements, state compliance report storage.googleapis.com
- Helper City · FY2025 financial statements, management's discussion: long-term debt storage.googleapis.com
Reporting by The Utah Ledger from the public records above. AI-assisted; paragraphs link to their sources.
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