NC State Auditor Released Report On Battleship North Carolina Revealing Financial Errors

Last week, North Carolina State Auditor Dave Boliek released a report of his office’s findings about  a recent audit of the Battleship North Carolina. The U.S.S. North Carolina is widely regarded as a top tourist attracting in Southeast North Carolina, drawing more than 250,000 visitors annually.  

Here are the key findings from the audit:  

• “The North Carolina Office of the State Auditor (OSA) has completed its financial statement audit of the USS North Carolina Battleship Commission. IN our audit we identified a total of $2.1 million in financial reporting errors for the year ending on September 30th, 2024.” 

• “As outlined on page 51 of the report, financial reporting errors include, but are not limited to, overstating deferred outflows to pensions by $430,000, overstating beginning net position by $248,000, and understating salaries and benefits by $36,000.” 

• OSA has determined these errors occurred because the USS North Carolina Battleship Commission management did not have adequate internal controls to ensure accurate financial reporting. Such errors increase the risk of making financial decisions based on unreliable data and can lead to an increased risk of fraud and undetected errors.”  

• “In its response to the report, Executive Director Jay Martin noted that the Battleship Commission agreed with the report’s findings and is taking prompt corrective action. The Office of the State Auditor remains readily available to assist the Battleship Commission in the future to ensure accurate financial reporting.”