Sam Fletcher reports from the Oak Harbor City Council meeting of Tue., Jan. 7, 2024 for the Whidbey News-Times.
The results returned from the state auditor’s office for Oak Harbor’s 2023 finances show sweeping improvements compared to 2022.
The audit began in October 2024 and ended in December, said David Goldman, deputy city administrator, at a council meeting this week. It took a bit longer for the office to reach Oak Harbor, as the state prioritizes organizations that receive significant federal funds as the federal audit is due sooner.
Overall, the city’s assets—such as the water treatment plant, power grid, public facilities and programs—exceeded its costs by $197.95 million. According to a press release, the city’s financial condition as measured by “net position” increased by about $12 million.
They Said It
Councilmember Bryan Stucky was pleased with these numbers. “People are very critical of government overspending, not being wise with resources, which is a fair criticism from time to time,” he said, “but the fact that I don’t think a lot of people think of municipalities investing their money, making money on the investments, I think that’s just wonderful.”
