The meeting was primarily focused on discussing the 2022-2023 accounts and audit findings. The audit is nearly complete, with a few remaining issues to address. The council expects an unqualified audit opinion, which is positive news.

The main topic was the 2022-2023 statement of accounts and audit findings. Ola Ola, Deputy Deputy Secretary of the Sectional OA5 on Officer, presented the report, highlighting that the audit is 99.9% complete. The auditors will issue an unqualified audit opinion, but some technical issues in the disclosures need to be resolved. The council's assets, including land valuations, were discussed, noting that annual revaluations can lead to changes in asset values, which must be reflected in the accounts. The auditors identified areas for improvement, which the council is addressing.

Councillor Lockwood raised concerns about the delay in signing off the accounts and asked if there were any financial penalties. Ola Ola confirmed there are no penalties and explained that the government has set a deadline of September 2024 for signing off the 2022-2023 accounts, but the council aims to complete this by May 2024.

Councillor Butcher inquired about tracking the issues raised by the auditors. Ola Ola suggested creating a tracker to monitor progress and provide updates at future meetings. The council is also planning to implement a new financial management system to address these issues.

Councillor Lockwood asked about the initial imbalance in the accounts. Ola Ola explained this was due to trial balance mapping issues, which have been addressed, and measures are being put in place to prevent recurrence.

Councillor Godfrey noted the importance of getting the accounts right, even if it means delays. Ola Ola and Sophia from the audit team assured that the remaining issues are technical and do not impact the core financial statements or the council's bottom line.

The committee decided to hold another meeting to approve the final accounts once the remaining issues are resolved, rather than delegating the approval to the Section 151 officer and the committee chair. The meeting concluded with the committee noting the Gran Johnson Audit Finder Report and agreeing to schedule another meeting to finalize the accounts.