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Bookkeeping and payroll in Morro Bay
For a fishing business, landed catch, buyer settlements and vessel expenses tell different parts of the month's story.
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General information, not legal advice.
Fishing receipts and waterfront cash flow
For a fishing business, landed catch, buyer settlements and vessel expenses tell different parts of the month's story. Reconcile settlement deductions before treating the bank deposit as sales. Keep maintenance reserves visible when reviewing cash, and separate equipment purchases from fuel and routine operating costs for the CPA's review.
- Commercial fishing landings in Morro Bay decreased by nearly 80% over 2014-2024, largely due to lower Dungeness crab harvests (city waterfront master plan).
Sources: morrobayca.gov: fishing receipts and waterfront cash flow
Water reclamation and North T-Pier planning
Completed facility construction and planned pier renovation should not be combined into a single active-work forecast. Contractors can separate closeout balances from prospective bids and maintain job-level labor records for each awarded scope. Tidwell can help reconcile construction costs while reviewing the payroll reporting instructions supplied with the contract.
- Water Reclamation Facility (most expensive public works project in city history), grand opening Feb 23, 2023. Amount recorded: about $160 million. Source status (2023): completed 2023; recycled-water injection phase pending. Agency: City of Morro Bay.
- North T-Pier renovation: replace 50+ structural pilings, new decking, safety systems. Amount recorded: $1.5 million federal (about half of need). Source status (2023): planning phase. Agency: City of Morro Bay.
Sources: esterobaynews.com: water reclamation and North T-Pier planning; ksby.com: water reclamation and North T-Pier planning
Planning a visit or a virtual review
Morro Bay's population is 10,692 (ACS 2024). Census PEP records population change of -1.3% from 2020 to 2025; this uses a different Census series from the ACS count.
Morro Bay is about 14.0 miles from our Atascadero office, measured in a straight line. We work remotely, with meetings at our Atascadero office.
Sources: Census ACS 2024: population; Census Gazetteer 2025: straight-line distance; Census PEP 2025: change since 2020
Sources for the local business picture
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