Refuse Authority audit shows financial reporting in good shape

GROSSE POINTE SHORES — The Grosse Pointes-Clinton Refuse Disposal Authority completed another fiscal year — on June 30 — with all its financial records in good order.

CPA Lynn Gromaski, who handles the finances for the GPCRDA, said the audit of the 2022 to 2023 fiscal year passed muster with the authority’s auditor, Rochester Hills-based Ramie E. Phillips Jr.

“It was … a clean opinion — there were no management letter items,” Gromaski told the GPCRDA Board during its last regular meeting of 2023 Nov. 14 at Grosse Pointe Shores City Hall.

In his letter to the board, Phillips said the same.

“In my opinion, the financial statements … present fairly, in all material respects, the respective financial position of the governmental activities, the business-type activities, and each major fund, of the Authority, as of June 30, 2023, and the respective changes in the financial position for the year then ended in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America,” Phillips wrote.

GPCRDA Board Chair Terry Brennan said the board was happy to get another clean opinion on the audit. That’s the best finding that a governmental entity can get.

“Thank you to Lynn for her hard work in working with our auditor and providing the information that they need and doing such a good job,” Brennan said after the meeting.

Gromaski said the $3 per ton of trash administrative fee paid for by all the member communities “is meeting our expenses, which is good.” The fee rose from $1 per ton to $3 per ton on July 1, 2017.

“The board’s very supportive of the rates and making sure our assets are maintained properly,” Brennan said.

The GPCRDA’s net assets fell from just over $1,744,000 in the 2021 to 2022 fiscal year to $1,445,000 as of June 30, or a loss of $299,000. Gromaski said that’s because the value of the pension declined in the last fiscal year.

The audit was unanimously approved and placed on file by the board.

The GPCRDA member communities are the five Grosse Pointes and Harper Woods.