O-1998-2282 - Laserfiche WebLink

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e e lUll WHlTEPETROvMcHONE August 26, 1998 Honorable Mayor Norman Malone City of La Porte, Texas 605 W. Fairmont Parkway La Porte, Texas 77571 We are pleased to confirm our understanding of the services we are to provide for THE CITY OF LA PORTE, TEXAS (the City). We will audit the general purpose financial statements of the City as of and for the years ended September 30, 1998, 1999, and 2000. Also, the documents we submit to you will include the combining, individual fund and account group financial statements and schedules, and the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards that will be subjected to the auditing procedures applied in our audit of the general purpose financial statements. The documents will also include a statistical section that will not be subject to the auditing procedures applied in our audits of the general purpose financial statements, and for which our accountants' report will disclaim an opinion. In addition, we will assist the City in obtaining the Government Finance Officers Association's Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting. The objective of our audits is the expression of an opinion as to whether the general purpose financial statements are fairly presented, in all material respects, in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and to report on the fairness of the additional information referred to in the first paragraph when considered in relation to the general purpose financial statements taken as a whole. The objective also includes reporting on the City's compliance with laws and regulations and the provisions of contracts and grant agreements and its internal controls as required by the Single Audit Act Amendments of 1996 and OMB Circular A-I33, Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations. Our audits will be conducted in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards; the standards for financial audits contained in Government Auditing Standards, issued by the Comptroller General of the United States; the Single Audit Act Amendments of 1996; and the provisions of OMB Circular A-I33, and will include tests of the accounting records of the City and other procedures we consider necessary to enable us to express such an opinion and to render the required Single Audit reports. If our opinion on the general purpose financial statements or the Single Audit compliance opinion is other than unqualified, we will fully discuss the reasons with you in advance. If, for any reason, we are unable to complete the audit or are unable to express an opinion, we may decline to express an opinion or may not issue a report as a result of this engagement, The management of the City is responsible for establishing and maintaining internal control. In fulfilling this responsibility, estimates and judgments by management are required to assess the expected benefits and related costs of the controls, The objectives of internal control are to provide management with reasonable, but not absolute, assurance that assets are safeguarded against loss from unauthorized use or disposition; that transactions are executed in accordance with management's authorizations and recorded properly to permit the preparation of general purpose financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles; and that federal financial assistance programs are managed in compliance with applicable laws and regulations and the provisions of contract and grant agreements. A Professional Corporation Certified Public Accountants & Consultants 17225 El Camino Real, Suite 444 . Houston, Texas 77058.2768 Firm: 281.488.4450 . Fax: 281.486.9668 · wpmcpas@wpmnet.com Member of Summit International Associates, Inc.