City of Hollister receives annual audit report

Marshall Decker (in red) prepares to present the annual audit to Hollister officials. (Photo by AJ Fahr)

The city of Hollister received their annual audit report during the Thursday, Sept. 3, aldermen meeting.

The report was presented to the board of aldermen by Marshall Decker from Decker & DeGood. The report covered the time frame of April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026. 

Decker discussed several items from the report including general funds, water and sewer funds, as well as capital gains funds. 

“The thing to look at on the general fund to determine if it is good or bad, is to take the total of expenditures and divide them by four. The goal is to have at least three months in cash to cover expenditures,” Decker explained to the aldermen. “Three to six months is a good solid position for a city to be in…So you have three months of cash in the account for operations.”

Decker said the overall funds the city has is not just in the general fund. 

“You have other monies, where they are in reserve for specific allocations and special projects and occasions,” Decker said. “You (the city of Hollister) are in excellent condition when it comes to your cash position.”

Decker advised the aldermen to keep an eye on the fees for water and sewer charges and to not wait too long to make increases. 

“I would say kind of watch that, maybe do a rate study. Look at the possible numbers,” Decker said. “I always say don’t wait for the last minute. In a small town that is sometimes difficult. You don’t want to wait too long and have to do a big increase. If you increase it methodically, say 3% to 5% due to inflation, it is a good balance for operations. Overall, you are in good condition.” 

City Administrator Lamar Patton said the success of this audit was a group effort for all departments, staff and the former staff who paved the way for the city.

“I would like to give credit to Suzy (Whitney), our financial officer. She does an incredible job every day. She is the gatekeeper of all the finances within the city. It is a team effort, with the directors and department knowing all the rules are going to be followed; procedures are going to happen; the discipline is there,” Patton said. “But I guarantee I will get a phone call or text from Suzy if something ain’t quite right.”