"Thomas Jefferson said a democracy is dependent on an informed citizenry.  I don't care whether it sounds corny or not.  It's the truth." -Jim Lehrer

Carefree Truth
Issue #828, May 18, 2020

Kandace Contreras explained that upon the expiration of a 5 year contract and an excellent relationship with the previous auditor, Hinton Burdick, it was felt that the best practice procedure dictated moving on to a new firm for fresh eyes, to ensure that the Town was doing everything possible to have a clean and flawless audit.  A Request for Proposal (RFP) was put out, and 5 firms responded.  2 were chosen for interviews.  Hinefeld Meech was selected for the 2020-2024 5 year contract based on their expertise and specialization in government accounting.  As always, the audit reports for the Town of Carefree, The Carefree Water Company, and the Carefree-Cave Creek Municipal Court will become part of the public record.


Jennifer Shields from Hinefeld Meech was available via Zoom to answer any questions.  She had met with Gary Neiss, Kandace Contreras and Jim Keen for the interview and the firm was recommended the next day.  Mrs. Contreras said Hinefeld Meech stands out with the Government Financial Offices Association of Arizona (GFOA), Hinefeld Meech is involved each year in annual seminars, and they have a large staff that can rotate to keep it fresh, which Carefree invites.


The total cost for 2019/20 would be $30,000 for audits of the Town, the Water Company and the Court, for the Expenditure Report and for the Water Company tax return.  It will go up $1000 for each of the next 2 fiscal years, to reach $35,000 in 2022.  If the parties mutually agree to continue after 2022, the cost will increase 3% per year for the additional years of the 5 year contract.   In 2019, the audit cost with the previous firm was $30,000.  Vice Mayor John Crane said he felt it was critical to get a fresh perspective every 5 years.


The motion to approve the execution of the contract for audit services with Hinefeld Meech was unanimously approved.

https://vimeo.com/415383040


Lyn Hitchon


Prepared by Carefree Truth
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