Auditing Fillmore
The Ledger's review of Fillmore's budgets, audits, debt and redevelopment money. Every story in the series, sorted by subject, with the figures the records show and links to the official documents.
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Auditing Fillmore: A $4 million general fund, utility funds and a sewer lagoon in the works
Fillmore's audited statements for the year ended June 30, 2026 report $40.1 million in net position and $3.1 million in outstanding bonds, all but $119,000 of it water bonds. The council adopted a $4,046,510 general fund budget for fiscal 2027, and posted minutes record work on a new sewer lagoon and flood-mitigation spending.
Read the explainer →Key figures
- $4,046,510Fillmore FY2027 adopted general fund budgetAuditing Fillmore: A $4 million general fund, utility funds and a sewer lagoon in the works →
- $2,976,829Water revenue bonds outstanding, June 30, 2026Auditing Fillmore: A $4 million general fund, utility funds and a sewer lagoon in the works →
- $92,258Investment fair-value decrease recorded as an audit adjustmentFillmore's 2026 audit lists two state compliance findings and two internal-control deficiencies →
- $22Mayor's recommended interim monthly sewer rate (not adopted)Fillmore weighs raising its $12 sewer rate as lagoon planning nears completion →
- $600,000Sewer fund surplus appropriated for the lagoon projectFillmore weighs raising its $12 sewer rate as lagoon planning nears completion →
- $468,000Reported flood-mitigation expenses, reimbursement expectedFillmore reports about $468,000 in flood-mitigation costs; the city administrator expects most to be reimbursed →
Budgets, reserves and taxes
Fillmore weighs raising its $12 sewer rate as lagoon planning nears completion
Mayor Curt Hare recommended raising Fillmore's flat monthly sewer rate from $12 to $22 while a usage-based structure is developed. The council has set aside $600,000 of sewer fund surplus for lagoon engineering. The audited Sewer Fund took in $205,894 in charges in fiscal 2026.
Fillmore reports about $468,000 in flood-mitigation costs; the city administrator expects most to be reimbursed
After the Widemouth 2 Fire, Fillmore's council set aside $500,000 of general fund surplus and approved purchase orders for excavator rentals and tree removal. On Sept. 22 the city administrator reported about $468,000 in flood-mitigation expenses and said most of the cost is expected to be reimbursed.
Contracts and spending
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Audits and compliance
Fillmore's 2026 audit lists two state compliance findings and two internal-control deficiencies
Fillmore's auditors found that the city's approved March 2026 minutes were posted late and that its fraud risk assessment was not completed within the fiscal year. They also reported a missed year-end payable and several reclassification adjustments as significant deficiencies.