A new outside auditing company hired by the College Station city council presents its first review of city finances. That was part of a presentation given during the March 13th council meeting. Click HERE to read and download presentation materials from the March 13, 2025 College Station city council meeting. Auditor John DeBurro said after auditing more than 50 cities during a nearly 25 year career, he said his first audit of the city of College Station for the 2024 fiscal year ranks “in the upper echelon”. City manager Bryan Woods added “It’s not uncommon when you switch auditors for them to find certain things that they’d like you to correct just because there’s differences in it. So to have a clean opinion like this is a really big deal.” The week after the council meeting, the city of College Station announced receiving an award from the state comptroller’s office “for achieving the highest levels of financial transparency and commitment to accountability.” Click below to hear comments from the March 13, 2025 College Station city council meeting: News release from the city of College Station: The City of College Station has been honored with the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts’ Transparency Stars Trailblazer Award for achieving the highest levels of financial transparency and commitment to accountability. “Texans deserve transparency in how their tax dollars are being spent, and the City of College Station has gone the extra mile in opening its books to the public,” Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar said. “Democracy can’t survive and thrive unless citizens have the information to make informed decisions at the voting booth to hold those they elect accountable for their actions.” Winners of the prestigious award must open their books in traditional finances, contracts and procurement, economic development, public pensions, debt obligations, and open government and compliance. They must also provide clear and meaningful financial information by posting financial documents, thorough summaries, visualizations, downloadable data, and other relevant information. College Station’s Finance Department has taken significant steps to ensure the City’s financial information is readily available and understandable. The Financial Transparency webpage on the city website includes annual financial reports, budgets, check registers, and other pertinent financial data organized in a user-friendly format. “Our residents have the right to know how their tax dollars are being managed, and we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of transparency,” College Station Director of Fiscal Services Mary Ellen Leonard said. “The recognition underscores the dedication of this team to openness and accountability. College Station is one of 11 local governments that earned all six Transparency Stars to achieve Trailblazer status.