Find Reports and Use the Correct OSA Service
Use the Minnesota Office of the State Auditor to find local-government audits, compare city and county finances, review special-investigation reports, report possible misuse of public funds, and request existing data held by the office.
This guide explains what the State Auditor oversees, what belongs with the Legislative Auditor or a county office, how to find a missing report, what evidence to include in a financial concern, and how resident petition audits work.
Quick answer: which service should you use?
Use All Reports to search across OSA report categories, Audit Reports for local-government audits issued under the OSA’s cover, Report a Concern for possible theft or unlawful use of local public funds, and a written public data request for existing OSA data that is not already published.
Office facts at a glance
The main office website combines reports, local-government financial data, forms, deadlines, audit guidance, special investigations, fire-relief resources and tax-increment-financing oversight.
Jump to the task you need
Each section below answers a separate public, resident or local-government question.
What the Minnesota State Auditor actually oversees
The Office of the State Auditor is an elected constitutional office focused primarily on the financial integrity and accountability of Minnesota local governments. It audits, reviews or analyzes local-government financial activity and receives financial reports from entities under its authority.
User task |
Correct service |
What it provides |
Important limit |
|---|---|---|---|
Find a city, county, town or special-district audit |
Audit Reports |
Financial statements, management letters, compliance reports and OSA audit work. |
Not every private-CPA or locally issued report appears. |
Compare local-government finances |
Government Information Division |
Budget summaries, finance reports, raw data and reporting support. |
Published data may cover a prior fiscal year. |
Report possible theft or unlawful use of funds |
Legal/Special Investigations |
Concern review, referrals, recommendations and qualifying investigations. |
OSA may decline matters outside its authority. |
Request an audit through resident signatures |
Petition Audit |
A statutory route for qualifying local-government petitions. |
Entity-specific signatures and certification are required. |
Request existing OSA data |
Data Practices request |
Access to existing public data maintained by OSA. |
OSA does not create new analysis or supply another agency’s data. |
Review volunteer fire relief finances |
Pension Division |
Reports, forms, compliance guidance and state-aid certification support. |
The relief association is separate from its fire department. |
Review tax increment financing |
TIF Division |
Annual legislative reports, forms, guidance and limited-scope review information. |
Property-specific development disputes may involve other agencies or courts. |
State Auditor, Legislative Auditor or county office?
What you need |
Correct office |
Examples |
|---|---|---|
Local-government financial audit or finance data |
Minnesota Office of the State Auditor |
Cities, counties, towns, special districts, fire relief associations and local TIF reporting. |
Audit or evaluation of a Minnesota state agency |
Office of the Legislative Auditor |
State departments, statewide programs, constitutional offices and selected state-authorized programs. |
Property owner, parcel, assessment or map |
County assessor, auditor, recorder or land-services office |
Parcel maps, tax assessments, deeds, plats, ownership records and legal descriptions. |
Property-tax payment or delinquency |
County auditor/treasurer or property-tax department |
Tax statements, payment posting, balances, receipts and penalties. |
State-agency misconduct investigation |
Legislative Auditor or another responsible state authority |
State program operations, statewide agency controls or state-employee conduct. |
Find a Minnesota OSA audit or public report
Fix a failed report search
Choose the report that answers your question
Report collection |
What it covers |
Best user question |
|---|---|---|
Audit Reports |
Financial statements, compliance work, agreed-upon procedures and management letters issued under OSA’s cover. |
What did auditors find in this local government? |
Special Investigations |
Investigative reports, review letters and memoranda involving alleged misuse of local public resources. |
Did OSA publicly report on this financial allegation? |
Local Government Finances |
Annual city, county, town and special-district financial and budget analysis. |
How does this government’s spending or revenue compare? |
Pension and Fire Relief Reports |
Financial condition, investment returns, benefit structures and OPEB information. |
How is a fire relief or public pension entity performing? |
TIF Reports |
Tax-increment-financing activity and limited-scope review violations. |
How is Minnesota TIF activity reported statewide? |
Asset Forfeitures |
Property forfeited under Minnesota statutes and related expenditures. |
What state-law forfeiture activity was reported? |
Municipal Liquor Operations |
Annual financial analysis of city-owned liquor stores. |
Did a municipal liquor operation earn or lose money? |
Performance Measurement |
Participating city and county resolutions, survey results and program certification. |
Which governments participated in the performance program? |
Best Practices Reviews |
Studies of cost, effectiveness and service-delivery practices. |
What local-government practices may improve service or save money? |
Read financial statements and findings correctly
Section |
What it tells you |
Question to ask |
|---|---|---|
Year-end date |
The closing date of the financial period covered. |
Am I comparing reports from the same fiscal period? |
Independent auditor’s report |
The auditor’s opinion on the financial statements. |
Was the opinion unmodified, modified or subject to a limitation? |
Financial statements |
Assets, liabilities, revenues, expenses and fund activity. |
Which fund or governmental activity contains the issue? |
Notes |
Accounting policies, debt, pensions, commitments and technical explanations. |
Does a note explain an amount that appears unusual? |
Management letter |
Internal-control or operational matters communicated to management. |
Is the issue a significant deficiency, material weakness or improvement recommendation? |
Legal compliance |
Testing against selected Minnesota legal requirements. |
What statute, rule or compliance guide applies? |
Finding |
A documented control, compliance or financial-reporting issue. |
What evidence supports it and how serious is it? |
Corrective action |
The local government’s response or planned remediation. |
Who is responsible and when should the correction be complete? |
Before quoting an audit
What users can find in the current report library
The live report collection includes current local-government budget summaries and newly released audit or review material alongside prior-year financial reports.
Combines 2026 Minnesota city summary budget data with 2025 comparison data.
Use it to review statewide patterns rather than treating one budget number as an audit finding.
Combines 2026 county summary budget data with revised 2025 data.
Use the report year and revision label when comparing editions.
The Special Investigations collection includes a 2026 review letter concerning the Town of Windemere.
Review letters and investigative reports may use different formats and scopes.
The Pension Division’s report library includes the 2024 Financial and Investment Report of Fire Relief Associations.
The report year refers to the financial information analyzed, not necessarily its publication year.
Report possible misuse of local public funds
Members of the public may report financial concerns involving Minnesota local governments. Local officials, employees and public accountants also have statutory reporting duties in specified circumstances.
What belongs in a useful report?
What OSA may do after receiving a concern
Petition or request a local-government audit
A petition audit is different from reporting a single suspected transaction. It is a statutory process asking OSA to examine the books, records and accounts of a qualifying local government.
Route |
Who initiates it? |
Main requirement |
|---|---|---|
Governing-body request |
The local government’s governing body |
An approved resolution and request signed by a majority of governing-body members. |
City petition |
Registered voters |
Use the correct city petition and obtain the required qualifying signatures. |
County petition |
Registered voters |
Use the county form and obtain county-auditor certification. |
School-district petition |
Eligible voters |
Follow the school-district signature and certification instructions. |
Watershed-district petition |
Resident owners |
Use the watershed form and statutory certification process. |
Town audit vote |
Town electors |
The process generally occurs through an annual or properly called special town meeting. |
Resident petition workflow
Request existing public data from OSA
Minnesota agencies commonly use the term “public data request.” Submit a written request when you seek existing data maintained by OSA and the information is not already available in its public report, form or guidance collections.
Check these sources before submitting
Write a focused request
Mark Kerr
525 Park Street, Suite 500
St. Paul, MN 55103
Use Minnesota local-government finance data
Resource |
Useful for |
Important caution |
|---|---|---|
City Finances reports |
Reviewing city revenues, expenditures, debt and financial trends. |
Compare similarly sized and similarly structured cities. |
County Finances reports |
Comparing county financial activity and service costs. |
County responsibilities and demographics differ. |
Town Finances reports |
Reviewing township financial activity. |
Town operations may be much smaller than cities or counties. |
Special District reports |
Finding reports for public entities with limited or specialized purposes. |
The district may not appear within a city or county financial statement. |
Raw data |
Building custom comparisons or research tables. |
Review field definitions and revisions before calculating trends. |
CTAS |
Accounting and financial-record support for small cities and towns. |
CTAS is an operational tool, not a public audit conclusion. |
SAFES |
Submitting required financial and pension information to OSA. |
Access and forms depend on the reporting entity and filing year. |
Read comparisons responsibly
Pension, fire relief, TIF and special report tools
OSA provides forms, reporting guidance, state-aid information, investment resources and financial reports for fire relief associations.
These associations are governmental nonprofit entities separate from their affiliated fire departments.
The report library includes fire-relief financial and investment reports and compilations of other post-employment-benefit data.
Check the report period before comparing investment returns or funding measures.
The TIF Division publishes annual legislative reports using information filed by development authorities.
Reports may also summarize violations cited through completed limited-scope reviews.
Annual reports and raw data cover property forfeited under Minnesota—not federal—law and related reported expenditures.
Annual reports analyze city-owned and operated liquor-store finances.
Review operating income, transfers and multi-year trends rather than one sales figure.
Participating cities and counties may submit resolutions and survey results through Minnesota’s local performance program.
Participation or aid certification is not an audit opinion.
Many required filings are completed through SAFES using the applicable entity and reporting-year instructions.
Contact the Minnesota Office of the State Auditor
Office or division |
Use it for |
Contact |
|---|---|---|
Main office |
General OSA questions and routing. |
|
State Auditor scheduling |
Scheduling requests and State Auditor correspondence. |
|
Government Information |
Local financial reporting, data, CTAS and SAFES. |
|
Legal/Special Investigations |
Possible local-government financial misconduct. |
|
Pension Division |
Fire relief, pension reporting and pension SAFES assistance. |
|
TIF Division |
Tax-increment-financing questions and TIF SAFES assistance. |
|
Public data requests |
Written requests for existing OSA public data. |
|
Media inquiries |
Press and media requests. |
Suite 500
St. Paul, MN 55103
Prepare before contacting OSA
What OSA cannot resolve for you
- Local-government financial audits
- Local finance and budget data
- Qualifying financial concerns
- Petition and governing-body audit requests
- Pension, fire relief and TIF reporting
- Existing OSA public data
- Resolve private contractual disputes
- Act as your lawyer or a court
- Review active or imminent litigation
- Provide county property records
- Audit state agencies in place of OLA
- Guarantee that every concern becomes an investigation
Minnesota State Auditor FAQs
Who is the Minnesota State Auditor?
Julie Blaha is Minnesota’s State Auditor. The elected Office of the State Auditor provides financial oversight of Minnesota local governments and certain local public pension entities.
What does the Minnesota Office of the State Auditor audit?
The office audits or reviews local governments such as counties, cities, towns and special districts, collects local financial data, oversees certain pension and fire relief reporting, reviews tax increment financing and investigates qualifying local-government financial concerns.
Does the Minnesota State Auditor audit state agencies?
Generally no. The Office of the Legislative Auditor audits Minnesota state agencies and statewide programs. The elected Office of the State Auditor primarily oversees local-government financial activity.
How do I find a Minnesota local-government audit report?
Open the Office of the State Auditor’s All Reports or Audit Reports page, search the local-government name, and filter by report title, entity type or year. Some audits issued by private CPA firms or under a local government’s own cover may not appear in the OSA audit collection.
How do I report suspected misuse of local public funds?
Use the OSA Report a Concern form or contact the Legal and Special Investigations Division at 651-296-2551 or LegalSI@osa.state.mn.us. Provide the local-government name, dates, people involved, financial effect and supporting documents.
Can residents petition for a Minnesota local-government audit?
Yes, residents may petition for audits of certain cities, counties, school districts, watershed districts and towns. Requirements differ by entity, and qualifying signatures may need to be certified by the county auditor.
How do I request public data from the Minnesota State Auditor?
Send a written request describing the existing OSA data you seek to datarequests@osa.state.mn.us or mail it to the Office of the State Auditor, 525 Park Street, Suite 500, St. Paul, Minnesota 55103.
Are reports to the Minnesota State Auditor confidential?
Privacy depends on the type of submission and applicable law. Certain identifying information from mandated reporters is private, and active review or investigation files may be nonpublic. Some information may become public after a review closes.
Does the Minnesota State Auditor provide property records?
No. Parcel maps, ownership records, assessments, deeds and property-tax records are maintained at the county level, usually by county assessors, auditors, recorders or land-services offices.
What is the Minnesota State Auditor’s phone number and address?
The main phone number is 651-296-2551. The office is located at 525 Park Street, Suite 500, St. Paul, Minnesota 55103.

Khushboo Bobade is the editor and digital publisher of CountyAuditors.org. She oversees the research and editorial process for the website, ensuring that information about county auditor offices, property records, and government resources is accurate, verified, and easy for visitors to understand.
10 Ohio Property Tax Calculators & Auditor Tools
Built specifically for Ohio's 35% assessment ratio, current DTE forms, and 2026 Homestead, Owner-Occupancy, CAUV, Conveyance Fee, and Board of Revision rules. Every number reflects verified Ohio Department of Taxation amounts.
Annual Tax Bill Estimator
OHIOApplies Ohio's 35% assessment ratio plus your county's effective millage tier — the actual math your auditor uses.
Homestead Reduction Calculator
DTE 105A2026 Ohio Homestead: $29,000 general or $58,000 enhanced (100% disabled vet, KIA spouse). OAGI under $41,000 required for non-veteran applicants.
Owner-Occupancy & Non-Business Credits
DTE 105CEvery Ohio owner-occupied home qualifies for the 2.5% Owner-Occupancy Credit plus the automatic 10% Non-Business Credit. Most owners don't realize these stack.
Conveyance Fee Calculator
ORC 322When you sell or transfer Ohio property, the auditor collects $1 state + up to $3 county per $1,000, plus $0.50 per parcel. Counties choose their rate.
CAUV Agricultural Savings
DTE 109Ohio's Current Agricultural Use Value cuts taxable value dramatically for farmland (10+ acres, or smaller with $2,500+ annual gross income).
Mill Rate Converter
Ohio tax rates appear three ways on auditor sites: mills, percent, or dollars per $1,000. Convert between them instantly.
Parcel Number Cleaner
Ohio's 88 counties each format parcels differently — Franklin uses 010-123456-00, Cuyahoga uses 001-23-456, Hamilton uses 100-0001-0001-00. Auto-detects.
35% Ratio Sanity Check
Ohio law sets taxable value at 35% of market value. If yours is significantly higher, you're a strong BOR appeal candidate.
BOR Appeal Savings
DTE 1A successful Board of Revision complaint typically cuts your value 10–20%. Filing is free and stays in effect until the next reappraisal.
BOR Deadline Countdown
MAR 31Ohio's statutory Board of Revision filing deadline is March 31 for the prior tax year. Miss it and you wait until next year — no extensions.
Verify with the official Ohio source
These calculators use the verified 2026 Ohio Department of Taxation amounts and statutory rules. For your exact bill, exemption status, and county-specific deadlines, always confirm with your county auditor and the Ohio Revised Code:
Estimates use Ohio's 35% statutory assessment ratio and effective tax rate tiers averaged across major Ohio counties. Your actual bill depends on local school levies, voted millage, inside vs. outside millage splits, House Bill 920 reduction factors (HB 920), and special assessments. The 2026 Homestead general amount ($29,000) and enhanced amount ($58,000) reflect HB 187 inflation indexing — your county auditor's office may show slightly different transitional figures. Nothing here is legal or tax advice. CountyAuditors.org is an independent informational directory, not affiliated with any county government.