Stockbridge Finance Committee Accepts Clean FY2025 Audit With No Material Weaknesses

STOCKBRIDGE — April 6, 2026 — Stockbridge Finance Committee unanimously accepted a clean fiscal year 2025 audit and reviewed four new warrant articles at its April 6 meeting. Auditors Dave Irwin and Joe Collins of Adelson & Company reported an unmodified opinion with no material weaknesses, total assets of $50.6 million, $9.7 million in outstanding debt, and a debt-service ratio of 7.9 percent of budget — well below the 15 percent ceiling Irwin cited as a general benchmark. "It's another good, clean opinion for the town," Irwin said. The Berkshire County Retirement System's strong investment performance cut Stockbridge's share of the net pension liability to roughly $14,000, down from $12.5 million the prior year. Two non-material management letter recommendations were issued: improve capital asset activity logging and reconcile Schedule A filings more carefully to audited figures. The committee also reviewed four Select Board warrant articles totaling roughly $103,000, including a $14,406 share of regional animal shelter upgrades, a $12,904 opioid settlement fund pass-through, and two $25,000 appropriations for Southern Berkshire Ambulance covering Furnace District 911 service and an ambulance replacement — the latter drawing skepticism from members who noted Southern Berkshire had never previously invoiced for coverage of the district's 49 annual calls.