HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014 Management LetterCITY OF EV AN STON
Evanston, Illinois
COMMUNICATION TO THOSE CHARGED WITH GOVERNANCE
AND MANAGEMENT
As of and for the Year Ended December 31, 2014
CITY OF EVANSTON, ILLINOIS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page No.
Required Communication of Internal Control Related Matters Identified in the
Audit to Those Charged with Governance 1
Material Weakness 2
Significant Deficiencies 2 -3
Other Communications with Those Charged with Governance
Two W ay Communication Regarding Your Audit 4 -5
Communication of Recommendations and Informational Points
to Management that are not Material W eaknesses or Significant Deficiencies
Recommendation 6
Informational Points 7 -8
Required Communications by the Auditor with Those Charged with Governance 9 -12
Management Representations
REQUIRED COMMUNICATION OF INTERNAL CONTROL RELATED MATTERS IDENTIFIED IN THE
AUDIT TO THOSE CHARGED WITH GOVERNANCE
To the Honorable Elizabeth B. Tisdahl , Mayor and
Members of the City Council
City of Evanston, Illinois
~AKER TILLY
Baker T illy Vi rch ow Krau se, LLP
1301 W22ndSr ,Src4 00
Oak Brook, I L 6 0 523 -3389
rcl63 0 990 3 13 1
fax 630 990 0039
bakerrill y.co m
In planning and performing our audit of the financial statements of the City of Evanston as of and for the year
ended December 31 , 2014, in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of
America , we considered its internal control over financial reporting (internal control} as a basis for designing our
auditing procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances for the purpose of e xpressing our opin ions on the
financ ia l statements, but not for the purpose of ex pressing an op inion on the effectiveness of its interna l control.
Accordingly , we do not express an opinion on the effectiveness of its internal control.
Our consideration of internal control was for the limited purpose described in the preceding paragraph and was
not designed to identify all deficiencies in internal control that might be material weaknesses or significant
deficiencies and, therefore, material weaknesses or significant deficiencies may exist that were not identified.
However, as discussed below, we identified a certain deficiency in internal control that we consider to be a
material weakness and other deficiencies that we consider to be significant deficiencies .
A deficiency in internal control exists when the design or operation of a control does not allow management or
employees, in the normal course of performing their assigned functions, to prevent, or detect and correct
misstatements on a timely basis. A material weakness is a deficiency or combination of deficiencies in internal
control, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the entity 's financial
statements will not be prevented, or detected and corrected, on a timely basis. We consider the following
deficiency in the City's internal control to be a material weakness:
> Journal Entries
A significant deficiency is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control that is less severe
than a material weakness , yet important enough to merit attention by those charged with governance. We
consider the following deficiencies in the City 's internal control to be significant deficiencies:
> Information Technology
> Cash Receipts Controls
The City of Evanston 's written responses to the significant deficiencies identified in our audit have not been
subjected to the auditing procedures applied in the audit of the financial statements and, accordingly, we
ex press no opinion on them.
This communication is intended solely for the information and use of management, those charged with
governance , and others within t he organization and is not intended to be , and should not be, used by anyone
BJ:hi~pecifi•\1~ ~~ Ll?
Oak Brook, lllinoi~ ·
July 23, 2015
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BAKER TILLY
I N TERNATIONAL
Page 1
An Affirm ative Acr ion Equal Oppon uniry Employer
Page 2
MATERIAL WEAKNESS
JOURNAL ENTRIES
The ability to prepare and initiate journal entries is delegated to various levels of finance employees.
These entries do not post to the system until the Accounting Manager reviews and approves them.
However, there is no review and approval of journal entries initiated and recorded by the Accounting
Manager. An entry could be made or improperly supported without the City’s knowledge.Additionally,
other finance employees have the ability to post and approve their own journal entries with no further
review.
CITY RESPONSE:
The City believes there are adequate controls in place for journal entry management. It is not
common for organizations to have several steps in journal entry review and is much more
acceptable to have entries done by one staff member and reviewed by the manager. To make the
process more efficient, most of the journals are now entered by one of the accountants and
approved by the Accounting Manager with the exception of very few journals as a result of
budget/audit compliance or directives from CFO.
SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCIES
CASH RECEIPTS CONTROLS
In an optimal internal control environment, certain control processes and segregation of duties would exist
in order to prevent a misstatement of financial information. This is accomplished when no single person
can initiate, record, and control distribution of a single transaction or series of transactions. In some
instances, the personnel constraints of many organizations do not always allow for ideal segregation of
duties. However, it is our responsibility as auditors to communicate this deficiency.
During the course of our audit, we noted that the Operations Coordinator in the Collector’s Office is
responsible for reconciling daily cash receipts collected by the cashiers, preparing the deposit for pickup
by Garda, and sending the batch receipts to the City’s accounting department for posting. However, the
Operations Coordinator still has the ability to post entries in the accounting system. This presents a risk of
the misappropriation of cash receipts to be concealed within the accounting system. We recommend that
a second individual review the amount prepared for deposit in comparison to the original cash register
reports and amounts posted to the general ledger for accuracy.
CITY RESPONSE:
Since 2011 the Accounting Division has been posting batches prepared by the Operations
Coordinator. With the implementation of New World Systems in 2014,the Operation Coordinator
no longer has the ability to post the batches in the Accounting System.
Page 3
SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCIES (cont.)
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
As part of the audit, we were required to identify the processes in place that provide a controlled
information technology (IT) environment for the applications, supporting systems and infrastructure
determined to be critical to the financial statement audit. We documented the processes in place for each
of the three main areas of focus: change management, logical access and IT operations. We then
assessed the design effectiveness of each of these processes and noted the following opportunities to
strengthen the City’s IT controls.
The City has some logical restrictions in place, such as requiring a unique user ID and password to
access the systems. Through our discussions with the City and related observations, we noted that the
Network password login from the active directory requires eight characters and is changed every 90 days;
password complexity is required and the system remembers the last five passwords.Some of the City’s
software systems such as AQUAS and PAL also follow these password criteria. Other of the City’s
software systems such as CryWolf, New W orld and RecTrac require passwords; however they are not in
line with recommended password complexity standards.Best practices indicate that other steps could be
taken to further ensure the integrity of the data. All passwords should be changed periodically. They
should also meet the industry standards for length, expiration, characters, and history (passwords cannot
be repeated). However, we understand that purchased software cannot always be modified in order to
strengthen password complexity requirements.
CITY RESPONSE –Provided by Information Technology (IT):
The City has purchased and in 2014 implemented a new financial system to replace JDE. New
World Systems, the new financial management software, is active-directory integrated and
utilizes user’s Windows credentials. This login requires eight characters, is changed every 90
days, password complexity requirements, and remembers the last five passwords. Aquas and
PAL (Accela) are also active-directory integrated. RecTrac is not active-directory integrated, but
does not allow the reuse of previous 5 password, has password complexity requirements, and
must change every 90-days. The City will evaluate if active-directory integration is possible for
this and all third-party systems.
OTHER COMMUNICATIONS WITH THOSE CHARGED WITH GOVERNANCE
Page 4
TWO WAY COMMUNICATION REGARDING YOUR AUDIT
(SAS) NO. 114 The Auditor’s Communication With Those Charged with Governance
As part of our audit of your financial statements, we are providing communications to you throughout the
audit process. Auditing requirements provide for two-way communication and are important in assisting
the auditor and you with more information relevant to the audit.
As this past audit is concluded, we use what we have learned to begin the planning process for next
year’s audit. It is important that you understand the following points about the scope and timing of our
next audit:
a.We address the significant risks of material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, through
our detailed audit procedures.
b.We will obtain an understanding of the five components of internal control sufficient to assess the
risk of material misstatement of the financial statements whether due to error or fraud, and to
design the nature, timing, and extent of further audit procedures. W e will obtain a sufficient
understanding by performing risk assessment procedures to evaluate the design of controls
relevant to an audit of financial statements and to determine whether they have been
implemented. W e will use such knowledge to:
>Identify types of potential misstatements.
>Consider factors that affect the risks of material misstatement.
>Design tests of controls, when applicable, and substantive procedures.
We will not express an opinion on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting or
compliance with laws, regulations, and provisions of contracts or grant programs. For audits done
in accordance with Government Auditing Standards, our report will include a paragraph that
states that the purpose of the report is solely to describe (a) the scope of testing of internal
control over financial reporting and compliance and the result of that testing and not to provide an
opinion on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting or on compliance, (b) the
scope of testing internal control over compliance for major programs and major program
compliance and the result of that testing and to provide an opinion on compliance but not to
provide an opinion on the effectiveness of internal control over compliance and, (c) that the report
is an integral part of an audit performed in accordance with Government Auditing Standards in
considering internal control over financial reporting and compliance. The paragraph will also state
that the report is not suitable for any other purpose.
c.The concept of materiality recognizes that some matters, either individually or in the aggregate,
are important for fair presentation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted
accounting principles while other matters are not important. In performing the audit, we are
concerned with matters that, either individually or in the aggregate, could be material to the
financial statements. Our responsibility is to plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable
assurance that material misstatements, whether caused by errors or fraud, are detected.
d.Your financial statements contain components, as defined by auditing standards generally
accepted in the United States of America, which we also audit.
We are very interested in your views regarding certain matters. Those matters are listed here:
a.We typically will communicate with your top level of management unless you tell us otherwise.
b.We understand that the City Council has the responsibility to oversee the strategic direction of
your organization, as well as the overall accountability of the entity. Management has the
responsibility for achieving the objectives of the entity.
c.We need to know your views about your organization’s objectives and strategies, and the related
business risks that may result in material misstatements.
Page 5
TWO WAY COMMUNICATION REGARDING YOUR AUDIT (cont.)
d.Which matters do you consider warrant particular attention during the audit, and are there any
areas where you request additional procedures to be undertaken?
e.Have you had any significant communications with regulators or grantor agencies?
f.Are there other matters that you believe are relevant to the audit of the financial statements or the
federal awards?
Also, is there anything that we need to know about the attitudes, awareness, and actions of the City
concerning:
a.The City’s internal control and its importance in the entity, including how those charged with
governance oversee the effectiveness of internal control?
b.The detection or the possibility of fraud?
We also need to know if you have taken actions in response to developments in financial reporting, laws,
accounting standards, governance practices, or other related matters, or in response to previous
communications with us.
With regard to the timing of our audit, here is some general information. If necessary, we may do
preliminary financial audit work during the month of December or January. Our final financial fieldwork is
scheduled during the spring to best coincide with your readiness and report deadlines. After fieldwork, we
wrap up our financial audit procedures at our office and may issue drafts of our report for your review.
Final copies of our report and other communications are issued after approval by your staff. This is
typically 6-12 weeks after final fieldwork, but may vary depending on a number of factors.
Keep in mind that while this communication may assist us with planning the scope and timing of the audit,
it does not change the auditor’s sole responsibility to determine the overall audit strategy and the audit
plan, including the nature, timing, and extent of procedures necessary to obtain sufficient appropriate
audit evidence.
We realize that you may have questions on what this all means, or wish to provide other feedback. We
welcome the opportunity to hear from you.
COMMUNICATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS AND INFORMATIONAL POINTS TO MANAGEMENT
THAT ARE NOT MATERIAL WEAKNESSES OR SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCIES
Page 6
RECOMMENDATION
DEFICIT FUND NET POSITION
At December 31, 2014, the City’s Insurance Internal Activity Fund and Fleet Services Internal Activity
Fund, reported deficit fund net position of $3,381,927 and $120,795, respectively. The Insurance Internal
Activity Fund began the period with a deficit net position balance of $3,727,663 and the Fleet Services
Internal Activity Fund began the period with a positive net position balance of $111,072.As these are
internal service funds, all revenues and transfers of net position are supported by the City’s other funds
including the General Fund, Water Fund, and Sewer Fund. These funds are expected to subsidize the
internal service funds’ improvement in future years.
CITY RESPONSE:
The City agrees with the above deficit fund net position numbers for the Insurance Fund. The City
started making inter-fund transfers from the other funds during the 2010-11 fiscal year to reflect
proportionate estimated insurance costs for those funds. It is worth noting that the negative net
position is mainly due to an accrual for short/long-term claims payable recorded for the potential
liability in the fund financial statements.
Page 7
INFORMATIONAL POINTS
The following is a schedule of GASB projects:
Task or Event Effective Date
GASB No. 68 ‒
Accounting and
Financial Reporting for
Pensions and GASB
71 –Pension
Transition for
Contributions Made
Subsequent to the
Measurement Date –
an amendment of
GASB 68
December 31, 2015 The City belongs to the Illinois Municipal Retirement
Fund (IMRF) and has the Police and Firefighters’ Pension
plans. IMRF is an agent, multiple-employer, defined-
benefit, public employee retirement system. IMRF has
represented that it will provide the information
necessary for the employers to implement GASB No.
68. The City’s Police and Firefighters’ Pension plans
are single employer, defined-benefit retirement
systems. The City will need to calculate the information
necessary to report the net pension liability/ asset for
the Police and Firefighters’ Pension plans. The City’s
net pension liability / asset will be reported in its
government-wide financial statements. The footnote
disclosures will have significant changes.
Current Agenda
Project: Fair Value
Measurement
Proposed effective
date –June 30,
2016 (Exposure
Draft issued in May
2014)
The objective of this project is to review and consider
alternatives for the further development of the
definition of fair value, the methods used to measure
fair value and the applicability of fair value guidance to
investments and other items currently reported at fair
value, and the potential disclosures about fair value.
Current Agenda
Project: Fiduciary
Responsibilities
The GASB Board is
expected to issue an
Exposure Draft in
October 2015
This project is to assess what additional guidance
should be developed regarding the application of the
fiduciary responsibility criteria in deciding whether and
how governments should report fiduciary activities in
their financial reports.
Current Agenda
Project: Leases
The GASB Board is
scheduled to issue
an Exposure Draft in
January 2016
The objective of this project is to re-examine issues
associated with lease accounting, consider
improvements to existing guidance, and provide a
basis for the GASB Board to consider whether the
current guidance is appropriate based on the
definitions of assets and liabilities.
Current Agenda
Project: Other
Postemployment
Benefits Accounting
and Financial
Reporting
Proposed effective
date for plans –
December 31,2016;
Proposed effective
date for employers –
December 31, 2017;
Proposed effective
dates for pensions
not administered by
a trust –June 30,
2017 (Exposure
Drafts issued in May
2014)
The Board will consider the possibility of modifications
to the existing standards of accounting and financial
reporting for other postemployment benefits (OPEB)
by state and local governmental employers and by the
trustees, administrators, or sponsors of OPEB plans.
GASB has stated that their objectives are to increase
financial reporting transparency and to improve the
usefulness of information to the various users of the
financial statements.
Page 8
INFORMATIONAL POINTS (cont.)
Task or Event Effective Date Impact
Current Agenda
Project: Blending
Requirements for
Certain Business-Type
Activities
The GASB Board is
expected to issue an
Exposure Draft in
June 2015
The objective of this project would be improve
financial reporting by addressing issues related to
inconsistent presentation of component units in
financial reporting of governments engaged only in
business-type activities.
Current Agenda
Project: External
Investment Pools
The GASB Board is
expected to issue an
Exposure Draft in
June 2015
The objective of this project is to improve financial
reporting by external investment pools and pool
participants that report positions in investment pools.
Current Agenda
Project: Irrevocable
Charitable Trusts
The GASB Board is
expected to issue an
Exposure Draft in
May 2015
The objective of this project is to determine what
accounting and financial reporting guidance, if any,
should be established for irrevocable charitable trusts
held for the benefit of governmental entities.
Current Agenda
Project: Tax
abatement
Disclosures
Proposed effective
date –December
31, 2016 (Exposure
Draft issued in
October 2014)
The objective of this project is to determine what
disclosure guidance for governments that have
granted tax abatements, if any, are essential to
financial statement users.
The GASB has two other projects which are on hold. They include the conceptual framework for
recognition and economic condition reporting –financial projections.
The GASB also revisits GASB standards ten (10) years after issuance. The GASB is currently revisiting
GASB Statement No. 34, Basic Financial Statements –and Management’s Discussion and Analysis for
State and Local Governments, as well as reporting model-related pronouncements including Statements
No. 37, Basic Financial Statements –and Management’s Discussion and Analysis-for State and Local
Governments; Omnibus, No. 41, Budgetary Comparison Schedules –Perspective Differences, and No.
46, Net Assets Restricted by Enabling Legislation, and Interpretation No. 6, Recognition and
Measurement of Certain Liabilities and Expenditures in Governmental Fund Financial Statements. The
GASB has indicated that they are revisiting the following major provisions of these standards:
management’s discussion and analysis, government-wide financial statements, fund financial statements,
capital asset reporting, budgetary comparisons, special purpose government reporting, and related notes
to financial statements.In addition, the GASB is revisiting debt extinguishments, which includes a
reexamination of GASB Statement Nos. 7, 23, and 62. We will share updates with you as they become
available.
A full list of projects, as well as many resources, is available on GASB’s website at www.gasb.org.
REQUIRED COMMUNICATIONS BY THE AUDITOR WITH THOSE CHARGED WITH GOVERNANCE
Page 9
Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP
1301 W 22nd St, Ste 400
Oak Brook, IL 60523-3389
tel 630 990 3131
fax 630 990 0039
bakertilly.com
To the Honorable Elizabeth B. Tisdahl, Mayor and
Members of the City Council
City of Evanston, Illinois
Thank you for using Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP as your auditor.
We have completed our audit of the financial statements of the City of Evanston, Illinois for the year
ended December 31, 2014, and have issued our report thereon dated July 23, 2015. This letter presents
communications required by our professional standards.
OUR RESPONSIBILITY UNDER AUDITING STANDARDS GENERALLY ACCEPTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA,GOVERNMENT AUDITING STANDARDS
The objective of a financial statement audit is the expression of an opinion on the financial
statements. We conducted the audit in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the
United States of America and Government Auditing Standards. These standards require that we plan
and perform our audit to obtain reasonable, rather than absolute, assurance about whether the
financial statements prepared by management with your oversight are free of material misstatement,
whether caused by error or fraud. Our audit included examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting
the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing accounting principles used and
significant estimates made by management, and evaluating the overall financial statement
presentation. Our audit does not relieve management or the City Council of their responsibilities.
As part of the audit we obtained an understanding of the entity and its environment, including internal
control, sufficient to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements and to
design the nature, timing and extent of further audit procedures. The audit was not designed to
provide assurance on internal control or to identify deficiencies in internal control.
As part of obtaining reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material
misstatement, we performed tests of the City of Evanston’s compliance with certain provisions of
laws, regulations, contracts, and grants. However, providing an opinion on compliance with those
provisions is not an objective of our audit.
Also, in accordance with OMB Circular A-133, Prado & Renteria CPAs will examine, on a test basis,
evidence about the City’s compliance with the types of compliance requirements described in the U.S.
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-133 Compliance Supplement applicable to each of
the City’s major programs for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the City’s compliance with those
requirements. While the audit provides a reasonable basis for the opinion, it does not provide a legal
determination on the City’s compliance with those requirements.
Prado & Renteria CPAs will issue a separate document which contains the results of their audit
procedures to comply with OMB Circular A-133.
Page 10
Honorable Elizabeth B. Tisdahl, Mayor and
Members of the City Council
City of Evanston, Illinois
OTHER INFORMATION IN DOCUMENTS CONTAINING AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Our responsibility does not extend beyond the audited financial statements identified in this report. We do
not have any obligation to and have not performed any procedures to corroborate other information
contained in client prepared documents, such as official statements related to debt issues.
PLANNED SCOPE AND TIMING OF THE AUDIT
We performed the audit according to the planned scope and timing previously communicated to you in
our letter about planning matters dated July 2, 2014.
QUALITATIVE ASPECTS OF THE ENTITY’S SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING PRACTICES
Accounting Policies
Management is responsible for the selection and use of appropriate accounting policies. In accordance
with the terms of our engagement letter, we will advise management about the appropriateness of
accounting policies and their application. The significant accounting policies used by the City of Evanston,
Illinois are described in Note 1 to the financial statements. As described in Note 1 to the financial
statements, the City changed accounting policies related to financial reporting for pension plans by
adopting Governmental Accounting Standards (GASB) Statement No. 67, Financial Reporting for Pension
Plans –an amendment of GASB Statement No. 25.
We noted no transactions entered into by the City of Evanston, Illinois during the year that were both
significant and unusual, and of which, under professional standards, we are required to inform you, or
transactions for which there is a lack of authoritative guidance or consensus.
Accounting Estimates
Accounting estimates are an integral part of the financial statements prepared by management and are
based on management's knowledge and experience about past and current events and assumptions
about future events. Certain accounting estimates are particularly sensitive because of their significance
to the financial statements and because of the possibility that future events affecting them may differ
significantly from those expected. The most sensitive estimates affecting the financial statements were:
Depreciation expense
Allowance for doubtful accounts
Insurance claims payable
OPEB liability
We evaluated the key factors and assumptions used to develop these estimates in determining that they
are reasonable in relation to the financial statements taken as a whole.
Financial Statement Disclosures
The disclosures in the financial statements are neutral, consistent, and clear.
DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED IN PERFORMING THE AUDIT
We encountered no significant difficulties in dealing with management in performing our audit.
Page 11
Honorable Elizabeth B. Tisdahl, Mayor and
Members of the City Council
City of Evanston, Illinois
CORRECTED AND UNCORRECTED MISSTATEMENTS
Professional standards require us to accumulate all known and likely misstatements identified during the
audit, other than those that are trivial, and communicate them to the appropriate level of management.
None of the misstatements detected as a result of audit procedures and corrected by management were
material, either individually, or in the aggregate, to the financial statements taken as a whole.
A summary of uncorrected financial statement misstatements follows this required communication.
Management has determined that their effects are immaterial, both individually and in the aggregate, to
the financial statements taken as a whole.
DISAGREEMENTS WITH MANAGEMENT
For purposes of this letter, professional standards define a disagreement with management as a matter,
whether or not resolved to our satisfaction, concerning a financial accounting, reporting, or auditing matter
that could be significant to the financial statements or the auditor’s report. W e are pleased to report that
no such disagreements arose during the course of our audit.
CONSULTATIONS WITH OTHER INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS
In some cases, management may decide to consult with other accountants about auditing and accounting
matters. If a consultation involves application of an accounting principle to the governmental unit’s
financial statements or a determination of the type of auditors’ opinion that may be expressed on those
statements, our professional standards require the consulting accountant to check with us to determine
that the consultant has all the relevant facts. To our knowledge, there were no such consultations with
other accountants.
MANAGEMENT REPRESENTATIONS
We have requested certain representations from management that are included in the management
representation letter. This letter follows this required communication.
INDEPENDENCE
We are not aware of any relationships between Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP and the City of Evanston
that, in our professional judgment, may reasonably be thought to bear on our independence.
Relating to our audit of the financial statements of the City of Evanston for the year ended December 31,
2014, Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP hereby confirms that we are, in our professional judgment,
independent with respect to the City in accordance with the Code of Professional Conduct issued by the
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. W e provided no services to the City other than audit
services provided in connection with the audit of the current year’s financial statements and nonaudit
services which in our judgment do not impair our independence.
Financial statement preparation
Compiled regulatory reports
Honorable Elizabeth B. Tisdahl, Mayor and
Members of the City Council
City of Evanston, Illinois
OTHER AUDIT FINDINGS OR ISSUES
We generally discuss a variety of matters, including the application of accounting principles and auditing
standards, with management each year prior to retention as the City's auditors. However, these
discussions occurred in the normal course of our professional relationship and our responses were not a
condition to our retention.
OTHER MATTERS
We applied certain limited procedures to the required supplementary information (RSI) that supplements
the basic financial statements. Our procedures consisted of inquiries of management regarding the
methods of preparing the information and comparing the information for consistency with management's
responses to our inquiries, the basic financial statements, and other knowledge we obtained during our
audit of the basic financial statements. We did not audit the RSI and do not express an opinion or provide
any assurance on the RSI.
We were not engaged to report on the supplementary information which accompanies the financial
statements but is not RSI. With respect to the supplementary information accompanying the financial
statements, we made certain inquiries of management and evaluated the form, content, and methods of
preparing the information to determine that the information complies with accounting principles generally
accepted in the United States of America, the method of preparing it has not changed from the prior
period, and the information is appropriate and complete in relation to our audit of the financial statements.
We compared and reconciled the supplementary information to the underlying accounting records used to
prepare the financial statements or to the financial statements themselves.
We were not engaged to report on the other information, which accompanies the financial statements but
is not RSI. We did not audit or perform other procedures on this other information and we do not express
an opinion or provide any assurance on it.
RESTRICTION ON USE
This information is intended solely for the use of those charged with governance and management and is
not intended to be, and should not be, used by anyone other than these specified parties.
We welcome the opportunity to discuss the information included in this letter and any other matters.
PJ:oi:wing \}Xy~1 {ff
Oak Brook, lllinoi~
July 23, 2015
Page 12
MANAGEMENT REPRESENTATIONS
July 23, 2015
Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP
1301 W. 22nd Street
Suite 400
Oak Brook, IL 60523
Dear Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP:
2100 Ridge Avenue
Evanston, Illinois 60201-2798
T 847.328.2100
TTY 847.328.4080
www.cityofevanston.org
We are providing this letter in connection with your audit of the financial statements of the City of Evanston
as of December 31, 2014 and for the year then ended for the purpose of expressing an opinion as to whether the
financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, 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 of Evanston and the respective changes in financial position and
cash flows, where applicable, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of
America. We confirm that we are responsible for the fair presentation of the previously mentioned financial
statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. We are
also responsible for adopting sound accounting policies, establishing and maintaining internal control over financial
reporting, and preventing and detecting fraud.
Certain representations in this letter are described as being limited to matters that are material. Items are
considered material, regardless of size, if they involve an omission or misstatement of accounting information that,
in the light of surrounding circumstances, makes it probable that the judgment of a reasonable person relying on
the information would be changed or influenced by the omission or misstatement. An omission or misstatement that
is monetarily small in amount could be considered material as a result of qualitative factors.
We confirm, to the best of our knowledge and belief, the following representations made to you during your audit.
Financial Statements
1. We have fulfilled our responsibilities, as set out in the terms of the audit engagement letter.
2. The financial statements referred to above are fairly presented in conformity with accounting principles generally
accepted in the United States of America. We have engaged you to advise us in fulfilling that responsibility. The
financial statements include all properly classified funds of the primary government and all component units
required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America to be included in the
financial reporting entity.
3. We acknowledge our responsibility for the design, implementation, and maintenance of internal control relevant
to the preparation and fair presentation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether
due to fraud or error.
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July 23, 2015
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4. We acknowledge our responsibility for the design, implementation, and maintenance of internal control to prevent
and detect fraud.
5. Significant assumptions we used in making accounting estimates are reasonable.
6. Related party relationships and transactions, including revenues, expenditures/expenses, loans, transfers,
leasing arrangements, and guarantees, and amounts receivable from or payable to related parties have been
appropriately accounted for and disclosed in accordance with the requirements of accounting principles generally
accepted in the United States of America.
7. All known events subsequent to the date of the financial statements and for which accounting principles
generally accepted in the United States of America require adjustment or disclosure have been adjusted or
disclosed. No other events, including instances of noncompliance, have occurred subsequent to the balance
sheet date and through the date of this letter that would require adjustment to or disclosure in the aforementioned
financial statements.
8. All material transactions have been recorded in the accounting records and are reflected in the financial
statements.
9. We believe the effects of the uncorrected financial statement misstatements summarized in the attached
schedule are immaterial, both individually and in the aggregate, to the basic financial statements as a whole. In
addition, you have recommended adjusting journal entries, and we are in agreement with those adjustments.
10. The effects of all known actual or potential litigation, claims, and assessments have been accounted for and
disclosed in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
11. Guarantees, whether written or oral, under which the City of Evanston is contingently liable, if any, have been
properly recorded or disclosed.
Information Provided
12. We have provided you with:
a. Access to all information, of which we are aware, that is relevant to the preparation and fair presentation of
the financial statements, such as financial records and related data , documentation, and other matters.
b. Additional information that you have requested from us for the purpose of the audit.
c. Unrestricted access to persons within the entity from whom you determined it necessary to obtain audit
evidence.
d. Minutes of the meetings of the City Council or summaries of actions of recent meetings for which minutes
have not yet been prepared.
13. We have disclosed to you results of our assessment of the risk that the financial statements may be materially
misstated as a result of fraud.
14. We have no knowledge of any fraud or suspected fraud that affects the entity and involves:
a. Management,
b. Employees who have significant roles in internal control, or
c. Others where the fraud could have a material effect on the financial statements.
15. We have no knowledge of any allegations of fraud or suspected fraud affecting the entity received in
communications from employees, former employees, regulators, or others.
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16. We have no knowledge of known instances of noncompliance or suspected noncompliance with provisions of
laws, regulations, contracts, or grant agreements, or abuse, whose effects should be considered when
preparing financial statements.
17. We have disclosed to you all known related parties and all the related party relationships and transactions of
which we are aware.
Other
18. There have been no communications from regulatory agencies concerning noncompliance with, or deficiencies
in, financial reporting practices. This excludes activities covered under the Single Audit Act.
19. We have a process to track the status of audit findings and recommendations.
20. We have identified to you any previous financial audits, attestation engagements, and other studies related to
the audit objectives and whether related recommendations have been implemented.
21. We have provided our views on reported findings, conclusions, and recommendations, as well as our planned
corrective actions, for our report.
22. The City of Evanston has no plans or intentions that may materially affect the carrying value or classification of
assets, liabilities, or equity as of December 31, 2014.
23. We are responsible for compliance with federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and provisions of contracts
and grant agreements applicable to us, including tax or debt limits, debt contracts, and IRS arbitrage
regulations; and we have identified and disclosed to you all federal, state, and local laws, regulations and
provisions of contracts and grant agreements that we believe have a direct and material effect on the
determination of financial statement amounts or other financial data significant to the audit objectives, including
legal and contractual provisions for reporting specific activities in separate funds.
24. There are no:
a. Violations or possible violations of budget ordinances, federal, state, and local laws or regulations (including
those pertaining to adopting, approving and amending budgets), provisions of contracts and grant
agreements, tax or debt limits, and any related debt covenants whose effects should be considered for
disclosure in the financial statements or as a basis for recording a loss contingency, or for reporting on
noncompliance, except those already disclosed in the financial statement, if any.
b. Other liabilities or gain or loss contingencies that are required to be accrued or disclosed by accounting
principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
c. Nonspendable, restricted, committed, or assigned fund balances that were not properly authorized and
approved.
d. Rates being charged to customers other than the rates as authorized by the applicable authoritative body
(either City Council or City Management).
e. Violations of restrictions placed on revenues as a result of bond resolution covenants such as revenue
distribution or debt service funding.
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July 23, 2015
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25. In regards to the nonattest services performed by you listed below, we have 1) accepted all management
responsibility; 2) designated an individual with suitable skill, knowledge, or experience to oversee the services;
3) evaluated the adequacy and results of the services performed, and 4) accepted responsibility for the results
of the services.
a. Financial statement preparation
b. Compiled regulatory reports
None of these nonattest services constitute an audit under generally accepted auditing standards, including
Government Auditing Standards.
26. The City of Evanston has satisfactory title to all owned assets, and there are no liens or encumbrances on such
assets nor has any asset been pledged as collateral.
27. The City of Evanston has complied with all aspects of contractual agreements that would have a material effect
on the financial statement in the event of noncompliance.
28. The financial statements include all component units as well as joint ventures with an equity interest, and
properly disclose all other joint ventures and other related organizations.
29. The financial statements properly classify all funds and activities.
30. All funds that meet the quantitative criteria in GASB Statement No. 34 and No. 37 for presentation as major are
identified and presented as such and all other funds that are presented as major are particularly important to
financial statement users.
31. Components of net position (net investment in capital assets; restricted; and unrestricted) and components of
fund balance (nonspendable, restricted, committed, assigned and unassigned) are properly classified and, if
applicable, approved.
32. The City of Evanston has no derivative financial instruments such as contracts that could be assigned to
someone else or net settled, interest rate swaps, collars or caps.
33. Provisions for uncollectible receivables have been properly identified and recorded.
34. Revenues are appropriately classified in the statement of activities within program revenues and general
revenues.
35. lnterfund, internal, and intra-entity activity and balances have been appropriately classified and reported.
36. Deposits and investment securities are properly classified as to risk, and investments are properly valued.
Collateralization agreements with financial institutions, if any, have been properly disclosed.
37. Capital assets, including infrastructure and intangible assets, are properly capitalized, reported, and, if
applicable, depreciated/amortized. Any known impairments have been recorded and disclosed.
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38. We have appropriately disclosed the City of Evanston's policy regarding whether to first apply restricted or
unrestricted resources when an expense is incurred for purposes for which both restricted and unrestricted net
position are available and have determined that net position were properly recognized under the policy. We
have also disclosed our policy regarding which resources (that is, restricted, committed, assigned or
unassigned) are considered to be spent first for expenditures for which more than one resource classification is
available.
39. We acknowledge our responsibility for the required supplementary information (RSI). The RSI is measured and
presented within prescribed guidelines and the methods of measurement and presentation have not changed
from those used in the prior period. We have disclosed to you any significant assumptions and interpretations
underlying the measurement and presentation of the RSI.
40. With respect to the supplementary information, (SI):
a. We acknowledge our responsibility for presenting the Sl in accordance with accounting principles generally
accepted in the United States of America, and we believe the Sl, including its form and content, is fairly
presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The
methods of measurement and presentation of the Sl have not changed from those used in the prior period,
and we have disclosed to you any significant assumptions or interpretations underlying the measurement and
presentation of the supplementary information.
b. If the Sl is not presented with the audited financial statements, we will make the audited financial statements
readily available to the intended users of the supplementary information no later than the date we issue the
supplementary information and the auditor's report thereon.
41. We assume responsibility for, and agree with, the findings of specialists in evaluating the post employment
benefits, Police Pension Fund and Firefighter's Pension Fund and have adequately considered the qualifications
of the specialists in determining the amounts and disclosures used in the financial statements and underlying
accounting records. We did not give or cause any instructions to be given to specialists with respect to the
values or amounts derived in an attempt to bias their work, and we are not otherwise aware of any matters that
have had impact on the independence or objectivity of the specialists.
Sincerely,
City of Evanston
Signed:
Signed:
Total Total Change in Beginning
Total Assets/ Total Liabilities/ Net Position/ Total Expenses/ Net Position/ Net Position/
Deferred Outflows Deferred Inflows Fund Balances Revenues Expenditures Fund Balances Fund Balances
Governmental Activities (232,864) - 232,864 246,447 (1,146,716) (900,269) 1,133,133
Business-Type Activities 1,118,564 - (1,118,564) - 596,194 596,194 (1,714,758)
General Fund 286,952 - (286,952) (286,952) - (286,952) -
Capital Improvement Fund (219,021) - 219,021 219,021 - 219,021 -
Water Fund 61,930 - (61,930) 100,736 (162,666) (61,930) -
Parking Fund (148,616) - 730,241 148,616 581,625 730,241 (581,625)
City of Evanston
SUMMARY OF UNCORRECTED FINANCIAL STATEMENT MISSTATEMENTS
As of and for the Year Ended December 31, 2014
Financial Statements Effect -
Debit (Credit) to Financial Statement Total