The Waratah-Wynyard Council is blaming auditors for its failure to hold its annual meeting by the legally required date. State law requires councils to hold their annual meetings by December 15, a deadline Waratah-Wynyard will not meet. The AGM will be held a month late, on January 15. "Delays in receiving audited financial statements from the Tasmanian Audit Office means that council has been unable to finalise its annual report," council staff said in a report for councillors. "This can now be completed and provided for public release in December." The staff said councils were legally required to submit draft financial statements for audit no later than August 15 each year. They said Waratah-Wynyard submitted its documentation on August 14. They said the auditor-general was legally required to finalise his audit opinion by September 30. However, they said, the council received its first version of statement adjustments and required updates from an audit firm on October 17 and had "been working on many requests since this date". They said the final statements were received on December 4 and a corrected version the next day. " ... the general manager (Shane Crawford) has written to the director of local government to outline the non-adherence to legislation by the auditors," they said. "Officers believe that they have responded to all requests in a timely manner and have in now way impacted on the timing of audit completion." The council also had some happier news, with a report for its December 11 meeting estimating an $800,000 improvement in the current financial year's budgeted outcome by June 30. Rates revenue was expected to run ahead of budget, as were grants income and interest income (due to rising interest rates). The council had $16.5 million in cash in hand on November 30. It was expected to have $6.7 million by June 30.