Progress Dashboard

The Progress Dashboard highlights the actions the Town is taking as we implement new policies and continue to grow.

Progress Dashboard

The Progress Dashboard gives residents a clear look at the work underway to strengthen Town policies, financial oversight and internal operations as Zebulon continues to grow. This work is informed by conversations with staff, community feedback received during the FY 2027 budget planning process, findings from the recent state audit and our ongoing commitment to serving the community well.

The dashboard tracks new policies, stronger financial documentation and internal controls, and improvements to budget accuracy, forecasting and monitoring. Each initiative includes a current status and will be updated as the work moves forward and key milestones are completed.

Dashboard Key:

Planned: Work has been identified but has not started.
In Progress: Work is actively underway.
Implemented: The action has been completed and put into practice.

IN PROGRESS

Policy Review and Modernization

The Town has established a Policy Audit Committee to conduct a comprehensive review and modernization of Town policies. The committee is evaluating existing policies, identifying outdated procedures, and developing standardized policies to improve compliance and operational effectiveness.

Lead Department: Administration

Current Progress:

Policy inventory underway
Policy tracking system implemented
Department reviews in progress

IN PROGRESS

Financial & Procurement Internal Controls Assessment

The Town initiated a comprehensive Financial and Procurement Internal Controls Assessment to evaluate financial operations, procurement practices, and internal control processes.

The assessment includes review of:

Accounts payable
Purchasing Vendor management
Contract administration
Segregation of duties
Financial system controls
Internal financial processes

Recommendations from this assessment will guide future improvements throughout the organization.

IN PROGRESS

Centralized Contract Management

The Town is implementing centralized electronic contract management to improve organization and accountability.

Future contracts will include:

Legal review
Pre-audit certification
Required approvals
Executed contract storage
Purchase order linkage
Vendor documentation
Electronic record retention

IN PROGRESS

Accounts Payable Controls

The Town is strengthening internal controls related to invoice processing and accounts payable.

Current improvements include:

Duplicate invoice detection
Improved reconciliation procedures
Enhanced approval workflows
Stronger documentation requirements
Independent verification of invoices prior to payment

IMPLEMENTED

Standard Contract Approval Process

The Town has adopted a standardized contract workflow requiring:

Legal review
Pre-audit certification
Required Board or administrative approval
Clerk attestation when applicable
Electronic storage
Distribution to vendors

These procedures improve consistency, documentation, and compliance throughout the contracting process.

IMPLEMENTED

Independent Financial Oversight

To strengthen management oversight, the Finance Director now provides the Town Manager with weekly check registers for independent review of Town disbursements.

This additional review provides another layer of accountability for financial transactions.

IN PROGRESS

Outstanding Checks & Unclaimed Property

The Town is implementing standardized procedures for reviewing aged outstanding checks and ensuring compliance with the North Carolina Unclaimed Property Act., Chapter 116B

IN PROGRESS

Financial Account Administration

The Town has implemented additional reviews of banking information associated with Town financial accounts to strengthen oversight and reduce risk.

Reviews include:

Banking information verification
Financial account administration
Segregation of duties
Periodic account review

Planned

Quarterly Financial Briefings

The Town is implementing quarterly financial briefings for the Board of Commissioners.

Reports will include:

Revenue collections
Expenditure trends
Budget-to-actual performance
Significant variances

Quarterly reporting will provide additional transparency and earlier identification of emerging financial issues.

Planned

Long Range Financial Forecast

The Town is developing a three- to five-year financial forecast to improve long-term planning.

The forecast will help evaluate:

Future operating costs
Capital needs
Infrastructure planning
Financial sustainability
Long-term budget forecasting

Financial Transparency

The following financial resources are available to the public.

Budget Documents:

Financial Reports:

Governance:

The Town strives to provide timely access to governing documents and Board actions.

Audit & Accountability
The Town is committed to addressing audit recommendations and continuously improving internal operations.
Resources available on this page include:

Available resources include: