When I was running for office, I promised you transparency – real transparency – not selective numbers, not partial information, and not reports that only tell half the truth. I told you I would open the books and show you exactly where we stand as a city.
Today, I’m keeping that promise.
For the last several years, the only financial reporting consistently available to council was the annual audit you see here. I combined five years our audits results for your inspection.
Before we go deeper together, I want you to have the chance to see exactly what I saw when I began digging into the true financial shape of our city.
🔽 Here is the five-year audit data – the same files I was given once a year. Note – The first one for 2020 I paid over $150 for and it took 3 months to get for me only to find out all they did was photocopy the Auditors report. In my information request, I requested the budget, imagine my surprise.
This is where I had to start. No context. No trend analysis. No real comparison to prior years. No explanation of how we got here. Just numbers on a page, and a city that deserved better answers.
What This Document Shows
This five-year summary includes:
Governmental net position
Utility (Water/Sewer) net position
Total net assets
Debt loads
Fund balances
Capital assets
Revenues and expenditures
For years, this was the closest thing to an overview of Margaret’s financial condition – but it isn’t enough. It doesn’t tell the story of how we arrived here, and it doesn’t reveal what may have been missed, overlooked, or never reviewed, but primarily it doesn’t show what was approved and legal expenditures.
This document is the floor, not the ceiling.
What It Doesn’t Tell Us
This five-year summary does NOT answer questions such as:
Why finances changed year-to-year
Whether funds were over or under performing
How the debt was accumulated or was paid down
Why certain accounts increased dramatically
Whether revenues were properly reported
Whether spending aligned with council approval
Whether past administrations followed state reporting laws
Whether the city was financially healthy, or only appearing to be
These are the questions I began asking on day one – and questions I intend for all of you to have the answers to as well.
And Now, I Found More… A Lot More
As I kept investigating, I located the audits all the way back to 2012 – more than a decade of financial history that I have not reviewed, summarized, nor has been shared publicly.
Let me be clear:
We now have a continuous audit trail going back 13 years.
And for the first time, Margaret will not only have access to this information – we will understand it, learn from it, and correct whatever needs fixing.
The next step is to lay this out year-by-year, connect the dots, identify patterns, and make sure our future decisions are grounded in truth, not assumption.
This is where our real work begins.
Why I’m Sharing This With You First
You deserve to see the raw information before I provide interpretation or recommendations.
You deserve to see what I saw, exactly how I saw it.
You deserve to be part of rebuilding a transparent, accountable city government.
My administration will not hide bad news or bury inconvenient facts. We will not “protect” you from the truth. We will not pretend everything is fine if it isn’t.
This city belongs to you.
These books belong to you.
And together, if you want, we will review every page of them.
What Comes Next
Over the coming weeks, I will be releasing:
1. A breakdown of each audit (2012–2022)
Clear, plain-language explanations of what was happening financially each year.
2. A full financial timeline of the City of Margaret
Where money came from, where it went, and why.
3. A portal for ongoing finances
So no future mayor has to start in the dark the way we did.
4. Corrective actions and reforms
To ensure our financial house is strong for decades to come.
This is a fresh start.
If you’ve ever wondered what’s really been happening with our city’s finances, you’re about to find out – because the door is finally open.
We are going to understand our past, strengthen our present, and build a future grounded in honesty, sunlight, and sound management.
Thank you for walking this journey with me.
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