Tennessee Comptroller Jason Mumpower said a record 15 counties statewide earned clean audits in the last fiscal year, including three in the Upper Cumberland.
These counties reported no findings in their annual financial and compliance reports following audits by the Comptroller’s Division of Local Government Audit. Putnam, Warren and White Counties received the clean audits.
Audit findings are used to identify weaknesses, deficiencies, or areas of noncompliance within government operations. A clean audit indicates that a county has established strong internal controls and is following sound financial practices.
“Counties that earn a clean audit show a clear commitment to accountability and good stewardship of taxpayer dollars,” Mumpower said. “This is not an easy standard to meet, and these counties should be proud of the systems they have in place to protect public resources.”
The 15 counties include Cannon, Cheatham, Hawkins, Henderson, Loudon, McMinn, Meigs, Putnam, Robertson, Sevier, Stewart, Unicoi, Union, Warren, and White.
Several counties have maintained this performance over multiple years, with Cannon and Sevier counties receiving four consecutive clean audits. The press release said Loudon, Robertson, and Stewart counties have each received three clean reports in a row, while Putnam and Unicoi counties have earned two consecutive clean audits.
Audit results statewide show improvement, with the total number of findings decreasing from 260 in fiscal year 2024 to 248 in fiscal year 2025. The press release said the average number of findings per county dropped from 2.86 to 2.73 during that same period.
