Even with the construction and opening of the new office complex located across the street on the books last year, the auditing team at Yeo & Yeo has given the city hall another clean bill of fiscal health.

A representative with the accounting firm presented the results of the 2014 City of Dowagiac audit during this week’s meeting of the Dowagiac City Council. Overall, the city saw modest changes to its general fund revenues and expenditures last year compared to 2013, the audit found.

In terms of revenue, the city saw an increase of nearly $100,000 last year compared to 2013, from $3,477,499 to $3,568,718.

Despite the fact that tax income remained fairly stagnant from 2013, the audit firm attributed this increase due in large part to the additional $200,000 worth of grant money awarded to the city in 2014.

Looking back at the state of the city finances from 2010, revenue was only down by about $30,000, despite changes to property tax values and state revenue sharing, the audit showed.

“You have strengthened your business side in order to accommodate these things, without being completely dependent on external forces of which you have no control,” said Kristin Watson, the representative from Yeo & Yeo.

Expenditures saw a moderate jump this year as well, going from $4,004,309 in 2013 to $4,318,983 last year. One of the large expenditures the city made last year was to community and economic development, with $1 million in fixed assets attributed to the James E. Snow Professional Building, which opened at the corner of Front and Main streets downtown last fall.

“That will hopefully lend lots of income to the city in years to come, so it’s a very sound investment for you guys,” Watson said.

Watson commended the fact that the city’s general fund revenue and expenditures continued to move complementary to each other, which is the sign of a healthy organization, she said.

The unassigned general fund balance, which refers to funds that have not been already earmarked for use, also increased from 2013, from $794,703 to $932,774. This is a big increase from that same number in 2010, which was $712,447, Watson said.

“The consistency over the past five years, that shows a conservative nature in spending and that you adhere to a budget,” she said.