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Auditor details city spending, income
HARTINGTON — The City of Hartington ended the 2025 fiscal year in a stronger overall financial position than the year before, but the city also carried more debt and saw a decline in some of its more flexible financial resources.
City Auditor Kyle Overturf, of the Grand Island firm AMGL, P.C., spent about 20 minutes at the City Council’s May 26 meeting going over the annual audit and reviewing the city’s revenue and expenditures.
The city’s fiscal year runs from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30. According to the audit, Hartington’s total assets exceeded its liabilities by $5,282,658 at the close of the 2025 fiscal year. That figure, known as the city’s net position, is a broad measure of the city’s overall financial standing.
The city’s net position increased by $502,110 from the previous year, rising from $4,780,548 in 2024 to $5,282,658 in 2025.
The increase was largely tied to capital assets, such as land, buildings, infrastructure, machinery, vehicles and equipment.
Hartington’s total assets increased from $7.44 million in 2024 to $8.87 million in 2025, an increase of more than $1.43 million.
Capital assets accounted for most of that growth. Those assets rose from $5.39 million in 2024 to $7.22 million in 2025, an increase of nearly $1.83 million.
Overturf said capital improvements appeared to be a major reason for the change. The city built a new city shop and a new community event center and also completed street paving work during the 2025 fiscal year.
At the same time, the city’s liabilities also increased. Total liabilities rose from $2.66 million in 2024 to $3.58 million in 2025, an increase of $928,421.
Most of that increase came from long-term liabilities, which rose by nearly $896,000.
That means the city’s financial position improved on paper, but a portion of that improvement came with added debt or future obligations.
Of the city’s total net position, $740,975 was listed as unrestricted net position. That money is generally available to meet the city’s ongoing obligations to citizens and creditors.
The report also showed some areas to watch. The city’s governmental activities reported an ending net position of $3,330,701 at the close of the fiscal year. However, those same governmental activities had a deficit unrestricted net position of $700,993.
That deficit grew from the previous year, when the governmental activities had a deficit unrestricted net position of $448,507.
The General Fund also showed a deficit. The report listed the unassigned fund balance for the General Fund at a deficit of $572,116 at the end of the fiscal year.
The General Fund is typically the city’s main operating fund and is used to pay for many basic government services. An unassigned fund balance represents money that is not restricted, committed or assigned for a specific purpose.
A deficit in that category can indicate that available general operating resources are tight or that the city has relied on other resources to cover expenses.
Overall, the audit shows Hartington remained in a positive financial position at the end of the 2025 fiscal year.
However, it also shows that more of the city’s value is tied up in longterm assets, while debt increased and the governmental side of the city reported a deeper unrestricted deficit than the year before.
In other action Tuesday, the Council agreed to close a portion of two roads for special events.
Hard Patch Brewing Company was granted permission to close a portion of Broadway Avenue in front of their business for a June 13 street dance. The dance is being held as a fundraiser for Paul Howey, who was recently injured in an accident.
Also Tuesday, the Council approved a fireworks sales permit for Fly By Night Fireworks. The Council also passed a resolution to temporarily close Highway 57 for a June 30 fireworks show by Fly By Night. The road will be closed from 7:30 to 11 p.m. that night.
The Council also passed a resolution dedicating the right-of-way for Wirth Drive in the new economic development park north of Highway 84.
Council members also reviewed the Sheriff’s report for May. The department put in 546.5 patrol hours in Hartington. Two hours of that was dedicated to school traffic control.
Law enforcement made three traffic stops in May, issuing two written warnings and one verbal warning. Law enforcement was also called out for two accidents in the community in May.
