HomeMy WebLinkAboutPR 22734: APPROVAL OF FY2021 AUDI ENGAGEMENT WITH PATTILLO, BROWN AND HILL, LLP City of
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www.PortArthurTx.gov
INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM
Date: 8/8/2022
To: The Honorable Mayor and City Council
Through: Ron Burton, City Manager
From: Kandy Daniel, Interim Director of Finance
RE: PR No. 22734 Approval of FY2021 audit engagement with Pattillo, Brown and
Hill, LLP
Introduction: Request approval for the City Manager to execute a letter of engagement with
Pattillo, Brown and Hill, LLP to perform auditing services for the City of Port Arthur for the
fiscal year ending 2021.
Background: Article XII, Section 17 of the Charter of the City of Port Arthur requires that a
CPA firm be engaged annually to perform an independent audit of all accounts of the City. The
scope includes the accounts of the Economic Development Corporation. The term of the letter
of engagement is one year and will provide for the audit of the general purpose financial
statements as presented in the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report and the Single Audit
reports in accordance with Federal requirements.
Pattillo, Brown and Hill,LLP was selected through a competitive RFQ process. This firm's
personnel are experienced in governmental audits, and meet all continuing education and
quality review requirements. This will be the first year of the contract. The engagement letter
is attached as exhibit A.
Budget Impact: The contract has a projected budgetary impact of$120, 000 and funds are
available in the Finance Department professional services account no. 001-07-015-5420-00-
10-000.
"Remember,we are here to serve the Citizens of Port Arthur"
P.O.Box 1089 X Port Arthur,Texas 77641-1089 X 409.983.8101 X FAX 409.982.6743
City of
www.PortArthurTx.gov
Recommendation: The attached Proposed Resolution No. 22734 authorizes the City Manager
to execute a letter of engagement with Pattillo, Brown and Hill, LLP to perform auditing
services for the City of Port Arthur for the fiscal year ending 2021. We recommend that the
City Council approve it as presented.
"Remember,we are here to serve the Citizens of Port Arthur"
P.O.Box 1089 X Port Arthur,Texas 77641-1089 X 409.983.8101 X FAX 409.982.6743
P. R. NO. 22734
KD: 8/8/2022
RESOLUTION NO.
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER
TO EXECUTE A LETTER OF ENGAGEMENT WITH
PATTILLO, BROWN AND HILL, LLP, AS INDEPENDENT
AUDITOR FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR WITH A
PROJECTED BUDGETARY IMPACT OF$120,000 FOR THE
YEAR ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2021. FINANCE
DEPARTMENT ACCOUNT #001-07-015-5420-00-10-000.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR:
THAT the City Manager of the City of Port Arthur is hereby authorized and directed to
execute on behalf of the City of Port Arthur an engagement letter between the City of Port Arthur and
Patillo, Brown and Hill, LLP, for an independent audit of all accounts of the City and the Port Arthur
Economic Development Corporation for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2021, as described in
Exhibit "A"; and
THAT a copy of said contract is attached hereto and made a part hereof as Exhibit "A"; and,
THAT a copy of the caption of this resolution be spread upon the Minutes of the City
Council.
READ,ADOPTED,AND APPROVED,this day of August,2022,A.D.,at a
Regular Meeting of the City Council of the City of Port Arthur, Texas by the following vote:
AYES: Mayor:
Councilmembers:
NOES:
Thurman Bill Bartie, Mayor
ATTEST:
Sherri Bellard, City Secretary
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
01,1
Val Tizeno, Ci ttorney A.5 }d 0.M
APPROVED FOR AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS:
0 �
Kandy Daniel, Interim Director of Finance
APPROVED FOR ADMINISTRATION:
Ron Burton, City Manager
EXHIBIT "A"
• PATTILLO, BROWN & HILL, L.L.P.
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August 16, 2022
City of Port Arthur, Texas
444 4th Street
Port Arthur, Texas 77640
You have requested that we audit the financial statements of the governmental activities, the
business-type activities, each major fund, the discretely presented component unit and the aggregate
remaining fund information of City of Port Arthur, Texas (the "City")as of September 30, 2021, and
for the year then ended, and the related notes to the financial statements, which collectively comprise
the City of Port Arthur, Texas' basic financial statements as listed in the table of contents. In addition,
if required by Title 2 U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 200, Uniform Administrative
Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance), we
will audit the City of Port Arthur, Texas' compliance over major federal award programs for the year
ended September 30, 2021. Similarly, if required by the State of Texas Uniform Grant Management
Standards, we will audit the City of Port Arthur, Texas' compliance over major state award programs
for the year ended September 30, 2021.
We are pleased to confirm our acceptance and our understanding of this audit engagement by means
of this letter. Our audits will be conducted with the objectives of our expressing an opinion on each
opinion unit and an opinion on compliance regarding the City of Port Arthur, Texas' major federal
and state award programs.
Accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America require that the
management's discussion and analysis, budgetary comparison information, certain pension and post-
retirement health care plan information be presented to supplement the basic financial statements.
Such information, although not a part of the basic financial statements, is required by the
Governmental Accounting Standards Board, who considers it to be an essential part of financial
reporting for placing the basic financial statements in an appropriate operational, economic, or
historical context. As part of our engagement, we will apply certain limited procedures to the required
supplementary information (RSI) in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the
United States of America. These limited procedures will consist primarily of inquiries of management
regarding their methods of measurement and presentation and comparing the information for
consistency with management's responses to our inquiries. We will not express an opinion or provide
any form of assurance on the RSI. The following RSI is required by accounting principles generally
accepted in the United States of America. This RSI will be subjected to certain limited procedures
but will not be audited:
• Management's Discussion and Analysis.
• Certain Budgetary Schedules.
• Schedule of Changes in Net Pension and Other Postemployment Benefits (OPEB) Liability and
Related Ratios.
• Schedule of Employer Pension and OPEB Contributions.
OFFICE LOCATIONS tr,`
TEXAS Waco Temple Hillsboro Houston ` AICPA
NEW MEXICO Albuquerque GAQC Member
City of Port Arthur, Texas August 16, 2022 Page 2
Supplementary information other than RSI will accompany City of Port Arthur, Texas' basic financial
statements. We will subject the following supplementary information to the auditing procedures
applied in our audit of the basic financial statements and certain additional procedures, including
comparing and reconciling the supplementary information to the underlying accounting and other
records used to prepare the financial statements or to the financial statements themselves, and
additional procedures in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States
of America. We intend to provide an opinion on the following supplementary information in relation
to the financial statements as a whole:
• Combining and individual fund financial statements and schedules.
Also, the document we submit to you will include the following other additional information that will
not be subjected to the auditing procedures applied in our audit of the financial statements:
• Introductory Section.
• Statistical Section.
Schedule of Expenditures of Federal and State Awards
We will subject the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal and State Awards to the auditing procedures
applied in our audit of the basic financial statements and certain additional procedures, including
comparing and reconciling the schedule to the underlying accounting and other records used to
prepare the financial statements or to the financial statements themselves, and additional procedures
in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America. We intend
to provide an opinion on whether the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal and State Awards is
presented fairly in all material respects in relation to the financial statements as a whole.
Data Collection Form
Prior to the completion of our engagement, we will complete the sections of the Data Collection Form
that are our responsibility. The form will summarize our audit findings, amounts and conclusions. It
is management's responsibility to submit a reporting package including financial statements, the
Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards, the Summary Schedule of Prior Audit Findings and
corrective action plan along with the Data Collection Form to the federal audit clearinghouse. The
financial reporting package must be text searchable, unencrypted, and unlocked. Otherwise, the
reporting package will not be accepted by the federal audit clearinghouse. We will assist you in the
electronic submission and certification. You may request from us copies of our report for you to
include with the reporting package submitted to pass-through entities.
The Data Collection Form is required to be submitted within the earlier of 30 days after receipt of our
auditors' reports or nine months after the end of the audit period, unless specifically waived by a
cognizant or oversight agency for audits. Data Collection Forms submitted untimely are one of the
factors in assessing programs at a higher risk.
Audit of the Financial Statements
We will conduct our audit in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United
States of America (U.S. GAAS), the standards applicable to financial audits contained in Government
Auditing Standards, issued by the Comptroller General of the United States of America; the audit
requirements of Title 2 U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 200, Uniform Administrative
Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance); and
the State of Texas Uniform Grant Management Standards (UGMS). Those standards, the Uniform
City of Port Arthur, Texas August 16, 2022 Page 3
Guidance, and UGMS require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance
about whether the basic financial statements are free from material misstatement. An audit involves
performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the financial
statements. The procedures selected depend on the auditor's judgment, including the assessment of
the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error, fraudulent
financial reporting, misappropriation of assets, or violations of laws, governmental regulations, grant
agreements, or contractual agreements.
An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the
reasonableness of significant accounting estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the
overall presentation of the financial statements. If appropriate, our procedures will therefore include
tests of documentary evidence that support the transactions recorded in the accounts and direct
confirmation of cash, investments, and certain other assets and liabilities by correspondence with
creditors and financial institutions. As part of our audit process, we may request written
representations from your attorneys, and they may bill you for responding. At the conclusion of our
audit, we will also request certain written representations from you about the financial statements
and related matters.
Because of the inherent limitations of an audit, together with the inherent limitations of internal
control, an unavoidable risk that some material misstatements or noncompliance (whether caused
by errors, fraudulent financial reporting, misappropriation of assets, detected abuse or violations of
laws or governmental regulations) may not be detected exists, even though the audit is properly
planned and performed in accordance with U.S. GAAS and Government Auditing Standards of the
Comptroller General of the United States of America. Please note that the determination of abuse is
subjective, and Government Auditing Standards does not require auditors to detect abuse.
In making our risk assessments, we consider internal control relevant to the City of Port Arthur,
Texas' preparation and fair presentation of the financial statements in order to design audit
procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an
opinion on the effectiveness of the City of Port Arthur, Texas' internal control. However, we will
communicate to you in writing concerning any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in
internal control relevant to the audit of the financial statements that we have identified during the
audit. Our responsibility as auditors is, of course, limited to the period covered by our audit and does
not extend to any other periods.
We will issue a written report upon completion of our audit of the City of Port Arthur, Texas' basic
financial statements. Our report will be addressed to the governing body of the City of Port Arthur,
Texas. We cannot provide assurance that unmodified opinions will be expressed. Circumstances may
arise in which it is necessary for us to modify our opinions, add an emphasis-of-matter or other-
matter paragraph(s), or withdraw from the engagement.
In accordance with the requirements of Government Auditing Standards, we will also issue a written
report describing the scope of our testing over internal control over financial reporting and over
compliance with laws, regulations, and provisions of grants and contracts, including the results of
that testing. However, providing an opinion on internal control and compliance over financial
reporting will not be an objective of the audit and, therefore, no such opinion will be expressed.
Audit of Major Program Compliance
Our audit of the City of Port Arthur, Texas' major federal and state award programs compliance will
be conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Single Audit Act (as amended), the Uniform
Guidance, and UGMS, and will include tests of accounting records, a determination of major programs
in accordance with the Uniform Guidance and UGMS and other procedures we consider necessary to
enable us to express such an opinion on major federal and state award program compliance and to
render the required reports. We cannot provide assurance that an unmodified opinion on compliance
City of Port Arthur, Texas August 16, 2022 Page 4
will be expressed. Circumstances may arise in which it is necessary for us to modify our opinion or
withdraw from the engagement.
The Uniform Guidance and UGMS require that we also plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable
assurance about whether the County has complied with applicable laws and regulations and the
provisions of contracts and grant agreements applicable to major federal and state award programs.
Our procedures will consist of determining major federal and state programs and performing the
applicable procedures described in the U.S. Office of Management and Budget OMB Compliance
Supplement and UGMS for the types of compliance requirements that could have a direct and
material effect on each of the County's major programs. The purpose of those procedures will be to
express an opinion on the County's compliance with requirements applicable to each of its major
programs in our report on compliance issued pursuant to the Uniform Guidance and UGMS.
Also, as required by the Uniform Guidance and UGMS, we will perform tests of controls 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 of the County's
major federal and state award programs. However, our tests will be less in scope than would be
necessary to render an opinion on these controls and, accordingly, no opinion will be expressed in
our report.
We will issue a report on compliance that will include an opinion or disclaimer of opinion regarding
the County's major federal and state award programs, and a report on internal controls over
compliance that will report any significant deficiencies and material weaknesses identified; however,
such report will not express an opinion on internal control.
Non-attest Services
We will also assist in preparing the financial statements, schedule of expenditures of federal and
state awards, and related notes of the County in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting
principles and the requirements of Title 2 U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 200, Uniform
Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform
Guidance) and UGMS, based on information provided by you. These non-audit services do not
constitute an audit under Government Auditing Standards and such services will not be conducted in
accordance with Government Auditing Standards. These services are limited to preparing the
financial statements, schedule of expenditures of federal and state awards, and related notes of the
County as previously outlined. Our firm, in its sole professional judgement, reserves the right to
refuse to do any procedure or take any action that could be construed as making management
decisions or assuming management responsibilities, including determining account coding and
approving journal entries. Our firm will advise with regard to financial reporting, but the County must
make all decisions with regard to those matters.
With respect to any non-attest services we perform, such as preparation of financial statements and
related note disclosures and the schedule of expenditures of federal and state awards. We will not
assume management responsibilities on behalf of the City of Port Arthur, Texas. However, we will
provide advice and recommendations to assist management of the City of Port Arthur, Texas in
performing its responsibilities. City of Port Arthur, Texas' management is responsible for (a) making
all management decisions and performing all management functions; (b) assigning a competent
individual to oversee the services; (c) evaluating the adequacy of the services performed; (d)
evaluating and accepting responsibility for the results of the services performed; and (e) establishing
and maintaining internal controls, including monitoring ongoing activities.
Our responsibilities and limitations of the engagement is limited to our preparation of the financial
statements and related note disclosures and the schedule of expenditures of federal and state awards
previously outlined. Our firm in its sole professional judgment, reserves the right to do any procedure
City of Port Arthur, Texas August 16, 2022 Page 5
or take any action that could be construed as making management decisions or assuming
management responsibilities, including determining account coding and approving journal entries.
Government Auditing Standards require that we document an assessment of the skills, knowledge,
and experience of management, should we participate in any form of preparation of the basic financial
statements and related schedules or disclosures as these actions are deemed a non-audit service.
Management's Responsibilities
Our audit will be conducted on the basis that management and, when appropriate, those charged
with governance acknowledge and understand that they have responsibility:
1. For the preparation and fair presentation of the financial statements in accordance with
accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America;
2. 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;
3. For identifying, in its accounts, all federal and state awards received and expended during the
period and the federal and state programs under which they were received, including federal
and state awards and funding increments received prior to December 26, 2014 (if any), and
those received in accordance with the Uniform Guidance (generally received after December
26, 2014) and UGMS;
4. For maintaining records that adequately identify the source and application of funds for
federally funded activities;
5. For preparing the schedule of expenditures of federal and state awards (including notes and
noncash assistance received) in accordance with the Uniform Guidance and UGMS
requirements;
6. For the design, implementation, and maintenance of internal control over federal and state
awards;
7. For establishing and maintaining effective internal control over federal and state awards that
provides reasonable assurance that the nonfederal entity is managing federal and state
awards in compliance with federal and state statutes, regulations, and the terms and
conditions of the federal and state awards;
8. For identifying and ensuring that the entity complies with federal and state statutes,
regulations, and the terms and conditions of federal and state award programs and
implementing systems designed to achieve compliance with applicable federal and state
statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of federal and state award programs;
9. For disclosing accurately, currently, and completely the financial results of each federal and
state award in accordance with the requirements of the award;
10. For identifying and providing report copies of previous audits, attestation engagements, or
other studies that directly relate to the objectives of the audit, including whether related
recommendations have been implemented;
11. For taking prompt action when instances of noncompliance are identified;
City of Port Arthur, Texas August 16, 2022 Page 6
12. For addressing the findings and recommendations of auditors, for establishing and
maintaining a process to track the status of such findings and recommendations and taking
corrective action on reported audit findings from prior periods and preparing a summary
schedule of prior audit findings;
13. For following up and taking corrective action on current year audit findings and preparing a
corrective action plan for such findings;
14. For submitting the reporting package and data collection form to the appropriate parties;
15. For making the auditor aware of any significant contractor relationships where the contractor
is responsible for program compliance;
16.To provide us with:
a. Access to all information of which the entity is aware that is relevant to the preparation
and fair presentation of the financial statements, and relevant to federal and state award
programs, such as records, documentation, and other matters;
b. Additional information that we may request from the entity for the purpose of the audit;
and
c. Unrestricted access to persons within the entity from whom we determine it necessary to
obtain audit evidence.
17. For adjusting the financial statements to correct material misstatements and confirming to us
in the management representation letter that the effects of any uncorrected misstatements
aggregated by us during the current engagement and pertaining to the current year period(s)
under audit are immaterial, both individually and in the aggregate, to the financial statements
as a whole;
18. For acceptance of non-attest services, including identifying the proper party to oversee non-
attest work;
19. For maintaining adequate records, selecting and applying accounting principles, and
safeguarding assets;
20. For informing us of any known or suspected fraud affecting the entity involving management,
employees with significant role in internal control and others where fraud could have a
material effect on compliance;
21. For the accuracy and completeness of all information provided;
22. For taking reasonable measures to safeguard protected personally identifiable and other
sensitive information; and
23. For confirming your understanding of your responsibilities as defined in this letter to us in
your management representation letter.
With regard to the schedule of expenditures of federal and state awards referred to above, you
acknowledge and understand your responsibility (a) for the preparation of the schedule of
expenditures of federal and state awards in accordance with the Uniform Guidance and UGMS, (b)
to provide us with the appropriate written representations regarding the schedule of expenditures of
federal and state awards, (c) to include our report on the schedule of expenditures of federal and
state awards in any document that contains the schedule of expenditures of federal and state awards
and that indicates that we have reported on such schedule, and (d) to present the schedule of
City of Port Arthur, Texas August 16, 2022 Page 7
expenditures of federal and state awards with the audited financial statements, or if the schedule
will not be presented with the audited financial statements, to make the audited financial statements
readily available to the intended users of the schedule of expenditures of federal and state awards
no later than the date of issuance by you of the schedule and our report thereon.
As part of our audit process, we will request from management and, when appropriate, those charged
with governance, written confirmation concerning representations made to us in connection with the
audit.
We understand that your employees will prepare all confirmations we request and will locate any
documents or invoices selected by us for testing.
If you intend to publish or otherwise reproduce the financial statements and make reference to our
firm, you agree to provide us with printers' proofs or masters for our review and approval before
printing. You also agree to provide us with a copy of the final reproduced material for our approval
before it is distributed.
Engagement Administration, Fees and Timing
We will schedule the engagement based in part on deadlines, working conditions, and the availability
of your key personnel. We will plan the engagement based on the assumption that your personnel
will cooperate and provide assistance by performing tasks such as preparing requested schedules,
retrieving supporting documents, and preparing confirmations. If for whatever reason your personnel
are unavailable to provide the necessary assistance in a timely manner, it may substantially increase
the work we have to do to complete the engagement within the established deadlines, resulting in
an increase in fees over our original fee estimate.
The timing of our audit will be scheduled for performance and completion as follows:
Interim fieldwork September 2022
Mail confirmations August 2022
Perform year-end audit procedures September 2022
Issue audit reports November 2022
Paula Lowe is the engagement partner for the audit services specified in this letter. Her
responsibilities include supervising Pattillo, Brown & Hill, L.L.P.'s services performed as part of this
engagement and signing or authorizing another qualified firm representative to sign the audit report.
Our fees for these services will be at our standard hourly rates plus out-of-pocket costs (such as
reports reproduction, word processing, postage, travel, copies, telephone, etc.) except that we agree
that our gross fee, including expenses, will not exceed $120,000. 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. In accordance with our firm policies, work may be suspended if your account
becomes 30 days or more overdue and may not be resumed until your account is paid in full. If we
elect to terminate our services for nonpayment, our engagement will be deemed to have been
completed upon written notification of termination, even if we have not completed our report(s). You
will be obligated to compensate us for all time expended and to reimburse us for all out-of-pocket
costs through the date of termination. 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.
City of Port Arthur, Texas August 16, 2022 Page 8
Other Matters
During the course of the engagement, we may communicate with you or your personnel via fax or
email, and you should be aware that communication in those mediums contains a risk of misdirected
or intercepted communications. In addition to fax and email, our firm also exchanges date over the
Internet using other methods (such as portals) or store electronic data via software applications
hosted remotely through a third-party vendor's secured portal and/or cloud.
Regarding the electronic dissemination of audited financial statements, including financial statements
published electronically on your Internet website, you understand that electronic sites are a means
to distribute information and, therefore, we are not required to read the information contained in
these sites or to consider the consistency of other information in the electronic site with the original
document.
Professional standards prohibit us from being the sole host and/or the sole storage for your financial
and non-financial data. As such, it is your responsibility to maintain your original data and records
and we cannot be responsible to maintain such original information. By signing this engagement
letter, you affirm that you have all the data and records required to make your books and records
complete.
Our firm may transmit confidential information that you provided us to third parties in order to
facilitate delivering our services to you. For example, such transmissions might include, but not be
limited to, investment information. We have obtained confidentiality agreements with all our service
providers to maintain the confidentiality of your information and we will take reasonable precautions
to determine that they have the appropriate procedures in place to prevent the unauthorized release
of confidential information to others. We will remain responsible for the work provided by any third-
party service providers used under this agreement. By your signature below, you consent to having
confidential information transmitted to entities outside the firm. Please feel free to inquire if you
would like additional information regarding the transmission of confidential information to entities
outside the firm.
The audit documentation for this engagement is the property of Pattillo, Brown & Hill, L.L.P. and
constitutes confidential information. However, we may be requested to make certain audit
documentation available to federal or state agencies and the U.S. Government Accountability Office
pursuant to authority given to it by law or regulation, or to peer reviewers. If requested, access to
such audit documentation will be provided under the supervision of Pattillo, Brown & Hill, L.L.P.'s
personnel. Furthermore, upon request, we may provide copies of selected audit documentation to
these agencies and regulators. The regulators and agencies may intend, or decide, to distribute the
copies of information contained therein to others, including other governmental agencies. We agree
to retain our audit documentation or work papers for a period of at least five years from the date of
our report.
Further, we will be available during the year to consult with you on financial management and
accounting matters of a routine nature.
During the course of the audit, we may observe opportunities for economy in, or improved controls
over, your operations. We will bring such matters to the attention of the appropriate level of
management, either orally or in writing.
You agree to inform us of facts that may affect the financial statements of which you may become
aware during the period from the date of the auditor's report to the date the financial statements are
issued.
At the conclusion of our audit engagement, we will communicate to management and those charged
with governance the following significant findings from the audit:
City of Port Arthur, Texas August 16, 2022 Page 9
• Our view about the qualitative aspects of the County's significant accounting practices;
• Significant difficulties, if any, encountered during the audit;
• Uncorrected misstatements, other than those we believe are trivial, if any;
• Disagreements with management, if any;
• Other findings or issues, if any, arising from the audit that are, in our professional
judgment, significant and relevant to those charged with governance regarding their
oversight of the financial reporting process;
• Material, corrected misstatements that were brought to the attention of management as a
result of our audit procedures;
• Representations we requested from management;
• Management's consultations with other accountants, if any; and
• Significant issues, if any, arising from the audit that were discussed, or the subject of
correspondence, with management.
In accordance with the requirements of Government Auditing Standards, we have attached a copy
of our latest external peer review report of our firm for your consideration and files.
Please sign and return the attached copy of this letter to indicate your acknowledgment of, and
agreement with, the arrangements for our audit of the financial statements, compliance over major
federal and state award programs including our respective responsibilities.
We appreciate the opportunity to be your financial statement auditors and look forward to working
with you and your staff.
Respectfully,
Pattillo, Brown & Hill, L.L.P.
Pow AWL
Paula Lowe, CPA
Waco, Texas
RESPONSE:
This letter correctly sets forth our understanding.
Acknowledged and agreed on behalf of Port Arthur, Texas by:
Name:
Title:
Date:
HADDOX
REID
EUBANK
BETTS
CPAs & Advisors
REPORT ON THE FIRM'S SYSTEM OF QUALITY CONTROL
November 25, 2019
To the Partners of
Pattillo Brown& Hill, LLP
and the National Peer Review Committee
We have reviewed the system of quality control for the accounting and auditing practice
of Pattillo Brown & Hill, LLP (the firm) in effect for the year ended May 31, 2019. 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 (Standards).
A summary of the nature, objectives, scope, limitations of, and the procedures performed
in a System Review as described in the Standards may be found at
www.aicpa.org/prsummarv. The summary also includes an explanation of how
engagements identified as not performed or reported in conformity with applicable
professional standards, if any, are evaluated by a peer reviewer to determine a peer
review rating.
Firm's Responsibility
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. The firm is also
responsible for evaluating actions to promptly remediate engagements deemed as not
performed or reported in conformity with professional standards, when appropriate, and
for remediating weaknesses in its system of quality control, if any.
Peer Reviewer's Responsibility
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.
One Jackson Place,Suite 500 • P.O.Drawer 22507 • Jackson,MS 39225-2507 ■ Ph:601-948-2924 • Fx:601-960-9154 • 'iv w.HaddoxReid.com
Required Selections and Considerations
Engagements selected for review included engagements performed under Government
Auditing Standards, including compliance audits under the Single Audit Act, an audit
performed under FDICIA,and audits of employee benefit plans.
As a part of our peer review, we considered reviews by regulatory entities as
communicated by the firm, if applicable, in determining the nature and extent of our
procedures.
Opinion
In our opinion, the system of quality control for the accounting and auditing practice of
Pattillo Brown & Hill, LLP in effect for the year ended May 31, 2019, 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. Pattillo
Brown&Hill,LLP has received a peer review rating of pass.
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