Eide Bailly Audit Engagement Agreement FY Ending June 30, 2009THE CITY OF Dubuque
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Masterpiece on the Mississippi
2007
TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: Eide Bailly Audit Engagement Agreement for Fiscal Year Ending June 30,
2009
DATE: June 8, 2009
Finance Director Ken TeKippe advises that the annual audit engagement letter to Eide
Bailly has been signed and Ken TeKippe transmits information contained in the audit
engagement letter.
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Mic ael C. Van Milligen
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Attachment
cc: Barry Lindahl, City Attorney
Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager
Ken TeKippe, Finance Director
THE CITY OF C~ Dubuque
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Masterpiece on the Mississippi
2007
TO: Mike Van Milligen, City Manager Q
FROM: Ken TeKippe, Finance Director ~ ~`~
SUBJECT: Eide Bailly Audit Engagement Agreement for fiscal year ending June 30, 2009
DATE: June 1, 2009
Effective last fiscal year, auditing standards require that the City Manager advise the
City Council that the annual audit engagement letter has been signed and share
information contained in the audit engagement letter. A copy of engagement letter is
enclosed. This is the fourth year of our five year agreement with Eide Bailly for
providing audit services to the City of Dubuque.
If there are any questions or concerns, David Cahill or Brian Unsen of Eide Bailly can be
contacted at 563-556-1790.
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Enclosure
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EideBailly~
CPAs 6t BUSINESS ADVISORS
May 20, 2009
Mr. Ken TeKippe
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
City of Dubuque, Iowa
50 West 13`~ Street
Dubuque, IA 52001
We are pleased to confirm our understanding of the services we are to provide the City of Dubuque for the year ending
June 30, 2009. We will audit the financial statements of the governmental activities, the business-type activities, the
discretely presented component unit, each major fund, and the aggregate remaining fund information, which
collectively comprise the basic financial statements, of the City of Dubuque as of and for the year ending June 30,
2009. Accounting standards generally accepted in the United States provide for certain required supplementary
information (RSI), such as management's discussion and analysis (NID&A), to accompany the City's basic fmancial
statements. As part of our engagement, we will apply certain limited procedures to the City's RSI. These limited
procedures will consist principally of inquiries of management regarding the methods of measurement and
presentation, which management is responsible for affirming to us in its representation letter. Unless we encounter
problems with the presentation of the RSI or with procedures relating to it, we will disclaim an opinion on it. The
following RSI is required by generally accepted accounting principles and will be subjected to certain limited
procedures, but will not be audited:
Management's Discussion and Analysis.
2. Budgetary comparison schedule.
Supplementary information other than RSI, also accompanies the City of Dubuque's basic fmancial statements. We
will subject the following supplementary information to the auditing procedures applied in our audit of the basic
fmancial statements and will provide an opinion on it in relation to the basic financial statements:
Schedule of expenditures of federal awards.
2. Combining fund financial statements.
The following additional information accompanying the basic financial statements will not be subjected to the
auditing procedures applied in our audit of the financial statements, and for which our auditor's report will disclaim
an opinion.
Introductory section.
2. Statistical tables.
PEOPLE. PRINCIPLES. POSSIBILITIES.
www.eidebailly.com
3999 Pennsylvania Ave., Ste. 1001 Dubuque, Iowa 52002-2273 1 Phone 563.556.1790 1 Fax 563.557.7842 1 EOE
Audit Objectives
The objective of our audit is the expression of opinions as to whether your basic financial statements are fairly
presented, in all material respects, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and to report on
the fairness of the additional information referred to in the first pazagraph when considered in relation to the basic
financial statements taken as a whole. The objective also includes reporting on-
• Intemal control related to the financial statements and compliance with laws, regulations, and the
provisions of contracts or grant agreeritents, noncompliance with which could have a material effect on
the financial statements in accordance with Government Auditing Standards.
• Internal control related to major programs and an opinion (or disclaimer of opinion) on compliance with
laws, regulations, and the provisions of contracts or grant agreements that could have a direct and
material effect on each major program in accordance with the Single Audit Act Amendments of 1996 and
OMB Circular A-133, Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations.
The reports on internal control and compliance will each include a statement that the report is intended solely for the
information and use of the body or individuals charged with governance, others within the entity, management,
specific legislative or regulatory bodies, federal awarding agencies, and if applicable, pass-through entities and is not
intended to be and should not be used by anyone other than these specified parties.
Our audit will be conducted in accordance with auditing standazds generally accepted in the United States of
America; 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-
133, and will include tests of accounting records, a determination of major program(s) in accordance with OMB
Circular A-133, and other procedures we consider necessary to enable us to express such opinions and to render the
required reports. If our opinions on the financial statements or the Single Audit compliance opinions are 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 form or have not formed opinions, we may decline to express opinions or to issue a report as a
result of this engagement.
Management Responsibilities
Management is responsible for the basic financial statements and all accompanying information as well as all
representations contained therein. We will prepare the trial balance for use during the audit. Our prepazation of the trial
balance will be limited to formatting information into a working trial balance based on management's chart of
accounts. Management is also responsible for preparation of the schedule of expenditures of federal awards in
accordance with the requirements of OMB Circular A-133. As part of the audit, we will prepare a draft of your
financial statements, schedule of expenditures of federal awards, and related notes. You are responsible for making all
management decisions and performing all management functions relating to the financial statements, schedule of
expenditures of federal awards, and related notes and for accepting full responsibility for such decisions. You will be
required to acknowledge in the management representation letter that you have reviewed and approved the financial
statements, schedule of expenditures of federal awazds, and related notes prior to their issuance and have accepted
responsibility for them. Further, you are required to designate an individual with suitable skill, knowledge, or
experience to oversee any nonaudit services we provide and for evaluating the adequacy and results of those services
and accepting responsibility for them.
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Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining effective internal controls, including internal controls over
compliance, and for monitoring ongoing activities, to help ensure that appropriate goals and objectives are met. You
are responsible for the selection and application of accounting principles; for the fair presentation in the financial
statements of the respective financial position of the governmental activities, the business-type activities, the
discretely presented component unit, each major fund, and the aggregate remaining fund information of the City and
the respective changes in financial position and, where applicable, cash flows in conformity with U.S. generally
accepted accounting principles; and for federal award program compliance with applicable laws and regulations and
the provisions of contracts and grant agreements.
Management is also responsible for making all financial records and related information available to us and for
ensuring that management and financial information is reliable and properly recorded. You responsibilities also include
identifying significant vendor relationships in which the vendor has the responsibility for program compliance and for
the accuracy and completeness of that information. Your responsibilities include adjusting the financial statements to
correct material misstatements and confirming to us in the representation letter that the effects of any uncorrected
misstatements aggregated by us during the current engagement and pertaining to the latest period presented are
immaterial, both individually and in the aggregate, to the financial statements taken as a whole.
You are responsible for the design and implementation of programs and controls to prevent and detect fraud, and for
informing us about all known or suspected fraud or illegal acts affecting the government involving (1) management,
(2) employees who have significant roles in intemal control, and (3) others where the fraud or illegal acts could have a
material effect on the fmancial statements. Your responsibilities include informing us of your knowledge of any
allegations of fraud or suspected fraud affecting the government received in communications from employees, former
employees, grantors, regulators, or others. In addition, you are responsible for identifying and ensuring that the entity
complies with applicable laws, regulations, contracts, agreements, and grants. Additionally, as required by OMB
Circular A-133, it is management's responsibility to follow up and take corrective action on reported audit findings
and to prepare a summary schedule of prior audit findings and a corrective action plan.
Management is responsible for establishment and maintenance of a process for tracking the status of audit findings and
recommendations. Management is also responsible for identifying for us previous fmancial audits, attestation
engagements, performance audits, or other studies related to the objectives discussed in the Audit Objectives section
of this letter. This responsibility includes relaying to us corrective actions taken to address significant findings and
recommendations resulting from those audits, attestation engagements, performance audits, or studies. You are also
responsible for providing management's views on our current findings, conclusions, and recommendations, aswell as
your planned corrective actions, for the report, and for the timing and format for providing that information.
Audit Procedures-General
An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial
statements; therefore, our audit will involve judgment about the number of transactions to be examined and the areas
to be tested. We will plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable rather than absolute assurance about whether the
financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether from (1) errors, (2) fraudulent fmancial reporting, (3)
misappropriation of assets, or (4) violations of laws or governmental regulations that are attributable to the entity or
to acts by management or employees acting on behalf of the entity. Because the determination of abuse is subjective,
Government Auditing Standards do not expect auditors to provide reasonable assurance of detecting abuse.
Because an audit is designed to provide reasonable, but not absolute assurance and because we will not perform a
detailed examination of all transactions, there is a risk that material misstatements or noncompliance may exist and
not be detected by us. In addition, an audit is not designed to detect immaterial misstatements or violations of laws
or governmental regulations that do not have a direct and material effect on the financial statements or major
programs. However, we will inform you of any material errors and any fraudulent fmancial reporting or
misappropriation of assets that come to our attention. We will also inform you of any violations of laws or
governmental regulations that come to our attention, unless clearly inconsequential. We will include such matters in
the reports required for a Single Audit. Our responsibility as auditors is limited to the period covered by our audit and
does not extend to any later periods for which we are not engaged as auditors.
Our procedures will include tests of documentary evidence supporting the transactions recorded in the accounts, and
may include tests of the physical existence of inventories, and direct confirmation of receivables and certain other
assets and liabilities by correspondence with selected individuals, funding sources, creditors, and fmancial institutions.
We will request written representations from your attorneys as part of the engagement, and they may bill you for
responding to this inquiry. At the conclusion of our audit, we will require certain written representations from you
about the fmancial statements and related matters.
Audit Procedures-Internal Controls
Our audit will include obtaining an understanding of the entity and its environment, including internal control,
sufficient to assess the risks of material misstatement of the fmancial statements and to design the nature, timing, and
extent of further audit procedures. Tests of controls may be performed to test the effectiveness of certain controls that
we consider relevant to preventing and detecting errors and fraud that aze material to the fmancial statements and to
preventing and detecting misstatements resulting from illegal acts and other noncompliance matters that have a
direct and material effect on the fmancial statements. Our tests, if performed, will be less in scope than would be
necessary to render an opinion on internal control and, accordingly, no opinion will be expressed in our report on
internal control issued pursuant to Government Auditing Standards.
As required by OMB Circular A-133, we will perform tests of controls over compliance to evaluate the effectiveness
of the design and operation of controls that we consider relevant to preventing or detecting material noncompliance
with compliance requirements applicable to each major federal award program. However, our tests will be less in scope
than would be necessary to render an opinion on those controls and, accordingly, no opinion will be expressed in our
report on internal control issued pursuant to OMB Circular A-133.
An audit is not designed to provide assurance on internal control or to identify significant deficiencies. However,
during the audit, we will communicate to management and those charged with governance internal control related
matters that are required to be communicated under AICPA professional standards, Government Auditing
Standards, and OMB Circular A-133.
Audit Procedures-Compliance
As part of obtaining reasonable assurance about whether the fmancial statements are free of material misstatement,
we will perform tests of the City's compliance with applicable laws and regulations and the provisions of contracts
and agreements, including grant agreements. However, the objective of those procedures will not be to provide an
opinion on overall compliance and we will not express such an opinion in our report on compliance issued pursuant to
Government Auditing Standards.
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OMB Circular A-133 requires that we also plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether
the auditee has complied with applicable laws and regulations and the provisions of contracts and grant agreements
applicable to major programs. Our procedures will consist of test of transactions and other applicable procedures
described in the OMB Circular A-133 Compliance Supplement for the types of compliance requirements that could
have a direct and material effect on each of the City's major programs. The purpose of those procedures will be to
express an opinion on the City's compliance with requirements applicable to each of its major programs in our
report on compliance issued pursuant to OMB Circular A-133.
Audit Administration, Fees, and Other
We understand that your employees will prepare all cash, or other confirmations we request and will locate any
documents selected by us for testing.
At the conclusion of the engagement, we will complete the appropriate sections of and sign the Data Collection
Form that summarizes our audit findings. We will provide an original and a copy of our reports to the City; however,
it is management's responsibility to submit the reporting package (including financial statements, schedule of
expenditures of federal awards, summary schedule of prior audit findings, auditors' reports, and a corrective action
plan) along with the Data Collection Form to the designated federal clearinghouse and, if appropriate, to pass-through
entities. The Data Collection Form and the reporting package must be submitted within the earlier of 30 days after
receipt of the auditors' reports or nine months after the end of the audit period, unless a longer period is agreed to in
advance by the cognizant or oversight agency for audits. At the conclusion of the engagement, we will provide
information to management as to where the reporting packages should be submitted and the number to submit.
The audit documentation for this engagement is the property of Eide Bailly LLP and constitutes confidential
information. However, pursuant to authority given by law or regulation, we may be requested to make certain
audit documentation available to federal cognizant or grantor agencies or their designee, a federal agency
providing direct or induect funding, or the U.S. Government Accountability Office for purposes of a quality
review of the audit, to resolve audit findings, or to carry out oversight responsibilities. We will notify you of any
such request. If requested, access to such audit documentation will be provided under the supervision of Eide
Bailly LLP personnel. Furthermore, upon request, we may provide copies of selected audit documentation to the
aforementioned parties. These parties may intend, or decide, to distribute the copies or information contained
therein to .others, including other governmental agencies.
The audit documentation for this engagement will be retained for a minimum of five years after the date of the
auditor's report is issued or for any additional period requested by the federal cognizant or grantor agencies. If we
are aware that a federal awarding agency, pass-through entity, or auditee is contesting an audit finding, we will
contact the party(ies) contesting the audit finding for guidance prior to destroying the audit documentation.
We expect to begin our audit on approximately August 1, 2009 and to issue our reports no later than
December 31, 2009. David Cahill is the engagement partner and is responsible for supervising the engagement
and signing the reports or authorizing another individual to sign them. Our fee for these services will be at our
standard hourly rates plus out-of-pocket costs (such as report reproduction, word processing, postage, travel,
copies, telephone, etc.) except that we agree that our gross fee, including expenses, will not exceed $59,600 for
the audit of the financial statements. Our standard hourly rates vary according to the degree of responsibility
involved and the experience level of the personnel assigned to your audit. Our invoices for these fees will be
rendered each month as work progresses and are payable on presentation. The above fee is based on anticipated
cooperation from your personnel and the assumption that unexpected circumstances will not be encountered
during the audit. If significant additional time is necessary, we will discuss it with you and arrive at a new fee
estimate before we incur the additional costs.
Should our relationship terminate before our audit procedures are completed and a report issued, you will be
billed for services to the date of termination. All bills are payable upon receipt. A service charge of 1 % per month,
which is an annual rate of 12%, will be added to all accounts unpaid 30 days after billing date. If collection action
is necessary, expenses and reasonable attorney's fees will be added to the amount due.
Government Auditing Standards require that we provide you with a copy of our most recent external peer review
report and any letter of comment, and any subsequent peer review reports and letters of comment received during
the period of the contract. Our 2008 peer review report accompanies this letter.
Dispute Resolution
The following procedures shall be used to resolve any disagreement, controversy or claim that may arise out of
any aspect of our services or relationship with you, including this engagement, for any reason (Dispute).
Specifically, we agree to first mediate and, if unsuccessful, then arbitrate all Disputes between us, including
without limitation any issue concerning the extent to which any Dispute is subject to arbitration, any Dispute
concerning this agreement, the limitations of remedy provided by this agreement, or claims for breach of contract,
negligence, fraud, fraud in the inducement, breach of fiduciary duty, violation of statute and any other cause of
action or remedy.
Mediation
All Disputes between us shall first be submitted to non-binding mediation by written notice (Mediation Notice) to
the other party. In mediation, we will work with you to resolve any differences voluntarily with the aid of an
impartial mediator. The mediator will be selected by mutual agreement, but if we cannot agree on a mediator, one
shall be designated by the American Arbitration Association (AAA).
The mediation will be conducted in Dubuque, Iowa, as specified by the mediator and agreed upon by the parties.
The parties agree to discuss their differences in good faith and to attempt, with the assistance of the mediator, to
reach an amicable resolution of the Dispute.
Each party will bear its own costs in the mediation. The fees and expenses of the mediator will be shared equally
by the parties.
Arbitration
If any Dispute has not been resolved within ninety (90) days after the written mediation notice, the mediation
shall terminate and the Dispute will be settled by arbitration. The arbitration will be conducted in accordance with
the procedures in this document and the Arbitration Rules of the Dispute Resolution Rules for Professional
Accounting and Related Services Disputes of the American Arbitration Association, except where this agreement
differs.
The arbitration will be conducted in Dubuque, Iowa, before a panel of three (3) neutral arbitrators, two (2) of
whom shall be practicing certified public accountants.
Any issue concerning the extent to which any Dispute is subject to arbitration, or concerning the applicability,
interpretation, or enforceability of these procedures, including any contention that all or part of these procedures
are invalid or unenforceable, shall be governed by the Federal Arbitration Act and resolved by the arbitrators.
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Indemnity
You agree to indemnify Eide Bailly LLP, its partners, affiliates, officers and employees (collectively Eide Bailly)
against any losses, including settlement payments, judgments, damage awards, punitive or exemplary damages,
and the costs of litigation (including attorneys' fees) associated with a claim brought against by a third-party and
that arises out of or is in any way related to the negligence of the City of Dubuque.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, Eide Bailly LLP shall indemnify and hold harmless the City from and
against all claims, damages, losses, and expenses, including but not limited to attorney's fees, arising out of or
resulting from Eide Bailly LLP's negligent performance of the Agreement.
Assignments Prohibited
You agree that you will not and may not assign, sell, barter or transfer any legal rights, causes of actions, claims
or Disputes you may have against Eide Bailly, its partners, affiliates, officers and employees, to any other person
or party, or to any trustee, receiver or other third party.
If this letter defines the arrangements as you understand them, please sign and date this letter and return it to us.
Thank you for this opportunity to be of assistance to you. We appreciate your business.
EIDE BAILEY LLP
CPAs & Business Advisors
David R. Cahill, Partner
ACCEPTED BY THE CITY OF DUBUQUE
President/Chairman
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Date ~
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System Review Report
To the Partners of Eide Bailly, LLP
and the AICPA Center for Public Company Audit Firms Peer Review Committee
We have reviewed the system of quality control for the accounting and auditing practice of Eide Bailly,
LLP (the firm) applicable to non-SEC issuers in effect for the year ended July 31, 2008. Our peer review
was conducted in accordance with the Standards for Performing and Reporting on Peer Reviews
established by the Peer Review Board of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. The
firm is responsible for designing a system of quality control and complying with it to provide the firm with
reasonable assurance of performing and reporting in conformity with applicable professional standards
in all material respects. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the design of the system of quality
control and the firm's compliance therewith based on our review. The nature, objectives, scope,
limitations of, and the procedures performed in a System Review are described in the standards at
www.aicpa:org/prsummary.
As required by the standards, engagements selected for review included engagements performed
under Government Auditing Standards, audits of employee benefit plans, and audits performed under
FDICIA.
In our opinion, the system of quality control for the accounting and auditing practice applicable to non-
SEC issuers of Eide Bailly, LLP in effect for the year ended July 31, 2008, has been suitably designed
and complied with to provide the firm with reasonable assurance of performing and reporting in
conformity with applicable professional standards in all material respects. Firms can receive a rating of
pass, pass with deficiency(ies) or fail. Eide Bailly, LLP has received a peer review rating of pass.
Richmond, Virginia
November 25, 2008