Orange City Council ended the 2018-19 financial year $13.4 million in surplus, excluding capital grants, down from almost $16 million the previous year.

More than $19 million in capital grants took the surplus to $32.5 million for the year, down $4.2 million from 2017-18.

Cabonne Council, meanwhile, was just $409,000 in the black, with grants taking the bottom line to $14.5 million in surplus.

However, it was an improvement on 2017-2018, when the result was more than $2 million in the red before grants took it to a surplus of $8.7 million.

Intentus Chartered Accountants director John O'Malley and auditor Gearoid Fitzgerald presented to the councils on the results, which showed Cabonne Council had focused on new projects rather than fixing old assets and expenses through normal operations were not contained within operating revenue.

Orange was able to cover its operating costs, earning almost $44 million in rates and annual charges, and Cabonne earned almost $14.3 million.

The statements noted the percentage of unpaid rates and charges had risen to 6.3 per cent for Orange and 6.5 per cent for Cabonne, however Mr O'Malley said the benchmark was to keep the rate below 10 per cent.

"We've certainly seen other councils where it's starting to near that line and in some cases punch through it," he said.

Neither council met the target for renewing infrastructure, with Cabonne fixing assets to 58 per cent of depreciation, and Orange only reaching 7 per cent of depreciation for the year.

Cabonne Council's first meeting for 2020 will be held on Tuesday, January 28.

Due to changes to the Local Government Act the council is now required to stream its monthly meetings.

Future video copies of the meetings will be available on the council website.