By Mike Kruzman / news@whmi.com

Marion Township has received glowing reviews for both their financial and assessing audits.

The township received an “unmodified opinion” which is the highest it can receive for its recent fiscal year audit from Pfeffer Hanniford and Palka. Ken Palka delivered the report during the Board of Trustees most recent meeting, held online. He said the process went very well with lots of help from township offices, and that Marion Township had a good year financially. The township’s total revenues were approximately $1.686-million, with operating expenditures of just over $1.2-million. After a $15,000 transfer to their cemetery fund, the township had a surplus of approximately $430,000 for the year. They began the fiscal year with around $2.5-million in their general fund, and are now just under $3-million. Palka commended them, saying that just a few years ago they were at $2-million. He further recognized them for having more than two times their annual operating expenditures in their fund balance.

The township also received a perfect score on their Audit of Minimum Assessing Requirements, or AMAR, from the Michigan Department of Treasury. Five years ago the state implemented this new evaluation process for local government assessments in an effort to ensure consistency across Michigan. Cities and townships get audited every 5 years based on AMAR guidelines. The audit measures several factors, including whether assessing records match the physical description of the property. The alignment of the township’s records to these descriptions is critical in accurately assessing the value of properties for tax purposes.