Newton Audit Committee Clears Federal Grant Review, Votes to Forward Reports to Finance Committee

NEWTON — April 8, 2026 — Newton audit committee clears three federal grant programs and advances single audit report unanimously. The Audit Committee voted without dissent at its April 8 meeting to forward the fiscal year 2025 single audit report and management letter to the Finance Committee, covering $20.7 million in total federal expenditures across the city's school lunch program, an ARPA grant, and a FEMA disaster grant — all three receiving unmodified opinions, the highest rating available. One finding was recorded, a repeat of a 2024 error in the child nutrition cluster; CLA audit manager Zach Ventross said only one of 37 sampled claims reports showed a problem this year, down from six or seven in the prior year, with engagement signer Jim Petrowski describing the remaining issue as "a unique situation related to the city's summer meals program" that appears to have been addressed. The committee also began deliberating over its 2026 special project selection, with the tree replacement fund — which took in nearly $430,000 in revenue and spent $639,000 through period eight of the fiscal year, including a building balance for a planned bucket truck — and the field maintenance gifts fund emerging as the leading town-side candidates, alongside a potential school-side revolving fund to be identified by School Committee Chair Alicia Pedrolo in consultation with school administrators.