HomeMy Public PortalAbout2019 Audit - Management Letter
CITY OF PARKVILLE, MISSOURI
REQUIRED COMMUNICATIONS
AND COMPLIANCE REPORT
For the Year Ended December 31, 2019
City of Parkville, Missouri
Required Communications and Compliance Report
For the Year Ended December 31, 2019
Table of Contents
Page
Number
Required Communications 1-5
Independent Auditor’s Report on Internal Control over
Financial Reporting and on Compliance and Other Matters
Based on an Audit of Financial Statements Performed in
Accordance with Government Auditing Standards 6-7
Schedule of Findings and Responses 8
COCHRAN HEAD VICK & CO., P.C.
Certified Public Accountants
August 13, 2020
To the Honorable Mayor and
Board of Aldermen
City of Parkville, Missouri
We have audited the financial statements of the governmental activities, business-type
activities, each major fund, and the aggregate remaining fund information of the City of
Parkville, Missouri (the City) for the year ended December 31, 2019. Professional
standards require that we provide you with information about our responsibilities under
generally accepted auditing standards and Government Auditing Standards, as well as
certain information related to the planned scope and timing of our audit. We have
communicated such information in our letter to you dated December 6, 2019. Professional
standards also require that we communicate to you the following information related to our
audit.
Significant Audit Findings
Qualitative Aspects of Accounting Practices
Management is responsible for the selection and use of appropriate accounting policies.
The significant accounting policies used by the City are described in Note 1 to the financial
statements. No new accounting policies were adopted and the application of existing
policies was not changed during 2019. We noted no transactions entered into by the City
during the year for which there is a lack of authoritative guidance or consensus. All
significant transactions have been recognized in the financial statements in the proper
period.
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. Significant accounting estimates used by the City’s management include
determining the allowance for doubtful accounts, the estimated historical cost of
infrastructure and the related estimated useful lives used in recording depreciation and
accumulated depreciation for capital assets, value of land held for redevelopment, and the
estimated obligation relating to pension benefits. We evaluated the key factors and
assumptions used in developing the above estimates in determining that they are
reasonable in relation to the financial statements taken as a whole.
The financial statement disclosures are neutral, consistent, and clear.
Difficulties Encountered in Performing the Audit
We encountered no difficulties in dealing with management in performing and completing
our audit.
1251 NW Briarcliff Pkwy
Suite 125
Kansas City, MO 64116
(816) 584-9955
Fax (816) 584-9958
Other Offices in
Missouri and Kansas
Corrected and Uncorrected Misstatements
Professional standards require us to accumulate all known and likely misstatements identified during the audit,
other than those that are clearly trivial, and communicate them to the appropriate level of management.
Management has corrected all such misstatements. The following material misstatement detected as a result of
our audit procedures was corrected by management.
Adjustments, reversal of accounts payable amounts, and reclassifications to cash of $131,420.
Adjustment to record FEMA grant funds receivable and deferred inflows of $274,802.
Disagreements with Management
For purposes of this letter, a disagreement with management is a financial accounting, reporting, or auditing
matter, whether or not resolved to our satisfaction, that could be significant to the financial statements or the
auditor’s report. We are pleased to report that no such disagreements arose during the course of our audit.
Management Representations
We have requested certain representations from management that are included in the management
representation letter dated August 13, 2020.
Management Consultations with Other Independent Accountants
In some cases, management may decide to consult with other accountants about auditing and accounting
matters, similar to obtaining a “second opinion” on certain situations. If a consultation involves application of an
accounting principle to the City’s financial statements or a determination of the type of auditor’s 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.
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 City’s management’s discussion and analysis, budgetary
comparison information, schedule of changes in net pension liability and related ratios and schedule of employer
contributions, which are 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 engaged to report on the combining and individual fund statements and schedules which accompany
the financial statements but are 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.
2
In planning and performing our audit of the financial statements of the governmental activities, the business-type
activities, each major fund, and the aggregate remaining fund information of the City of Parkville, Missouri as of
and for the year ended December 31, 2019, in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the
United States of America, we considered the City’s 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
expressing our opinions on the financial statements, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the
effectiveness of the City’s internal control. Accordingly, we do not express an opinion on the effectiveness of the
City’s 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 certain deficiencies in internal control that we consider to be material
weaknesses.
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 a 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 deficiency in the
City’s internal control described under Financial Reporting to be a material weakness.
As part of our annual audit, we try to identify opportunities for improving the management of financial resources
and for improving the internal controls over financial reporting. We are submitting, for your consideration, our
observations and recommendations with regard to these matters.
Management’s responses to our comments are included with this report. We did not audit the City’s responses
and, accordingly, we express no opinion on them.
CURRENT YEAR COMMENTS
Financial Reporting – Material Weakness
Management is responsible for establishing, maintaining, and monitoring internal controls over financial
reporting, and for the fair presentation of the financial statements and related notes in conformity with U.S.
generally accepted accounting principles. Under our professional standards, we have to assess the City’s
controls over preparing the financial statements. These controls should allow management or employees to
prevent, detect, and correct financial statements on a timely basis.
Our audit procedures identified an adjustment that was required to properly report a certain transaction of the
City in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. This adjustment was not initially identified by
the City’s internal controls over financial reporting.
We recommend that management review year-end closing procedures to ensure that transactions are properly
recorded in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. In addition, due to the complexities of
financial reporting, we recommend that management explore various alternatives for improving the controls over
financial reporting including the use of governmental accounting standards, reference guides and continuing
education and training courses.
Management’s Response
The adjustment referenced above was largely due to timing differences for invoices to the City processed
through direct debit transactions, which were paid in the current month, but not recorded in the City financial
records until the following month. A new method for recording these transactions has been put into effect which
should eliminate the issue.
3
Staff will do a better job of working with our auditors during the year as questions arise that they might be able to
provide direction on. Audit adjustments have decreased each year and staff will continue to strive for no audit
adjustments in the future. Staff will use all available reference guides to provide a checklist of tasks to ensure
accurate and timely financial reporting Staff understands that the City is ultimately accountable for the accuracy
of the financial statements and will endeavor to increase the in-house knowledge of governmental accounting
standards to improve this reporting process in the future. To that end, City staff will be scheduling periodic
meeting with Cochran Head Vick & Co., P.C. personnel throughout the year as questions arise to be sure all
unusual events are accounted for correctly initially.
The Board of Aldermen approved a budget that increased funding and time available for professional
development for finance staff with the idea of both the Finance/Human Resources Director and the City
Treasurer attending relevant training opportunities. The Finance/Human Resources Director attended the
Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) Update Webinar to learn about the most recent developments
in accounting and financial reporting for state and local governments. He was scheduled to attend the
Government Finance Officer of Missouri (GFOA) Winter Seminar and Spring Conference, but both of these
events were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The City Treasurer was scheduled to attend the Tyler
Connect Conference and the GFOA Conference, but did not due to the pandemic. Finance staff are seeking
available virtual training opportunities and anticipate additional in-person training in 2021.
Other Comments
Contractual, Intergovernmental and Development Agreements
The City has entered into an assortment of contractual, intergovernmental and development agreements. The
contract provision requirements under some of these agreements are often complex, with events occurring that
may require the recording of an accounting transaction which are often triggered by a non-cash transaction or
event. These types of accounting transactions are not always readily known or detected by finance personnel in
the normal course of performing their assigned functions. We recommend that management review the
processes related to the identification and recording of these types of accounting transactions.
Management’s Response
Finance staff and management will review current processes for the recording of future events not currently
reflected in the City’s accounting records. For example, when a FEMA grant is reasonably certain to be received,
but not until the following calendar year, a receivable will be recorded to reflect the anticipated receipt of the
funds. The same procedure would be used for future development as well as other types of agreements entered
into by the City.
Future Accounting Pronouncements
The Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) has recently issued the following statements which may
impact the City’s financial reporting requirements. In May 2020, in response to COVID-19 pandemic, GASB
issued Statement No. 95 - Postponement of the Effective Dates of Certain Authoritative Guidance. The following
statements reflect the revised effective dates:
GASB Statement 83 - Certain Asset Retirement Obligations, effective for the fiscal year beginning on
January 1, 2020.
GASB Statement 84 – Fiduciary Activities, effective for the fiscal year beginning on January 1, 2020.
GASB Statement 87 – Leases, effective for fiscal year beginning January 1, 2022.
GASB Statement 88 - Certain Disclosures Related to Debt, including Direct Borrowings and Direct
Placements, effective for fiscal year beginning January 1, 2020.
GASB Statement No. 89 – Accounting for Interest Cost Incurred before the End of a Construction Period,
effective for the fiscal year beginning January 1, 2021.
GASB Statement No. 90 – Majority Equity Interests – an amendment of GASB Statements No. 14 and No.
61, effective for the fiscal year beginning January 1, 2020.
GASB Statement No. 91 – Conduit Debt Obligations, effective for the fiscal year beginning January 1, 2022.
GASB Statement No. 92 – Omnibus 2020, effective for the fiscal year beginning January 1, 2022.
GASB Statement No. 93 - Replacement of Interbank Offered Rates effective for the fiscal year beginning
January 1, 2021.
4
GASB Statement No. 94 Public-Private and Public-Public Partnerships and Availability Payment
Arrangements, effective for the fiscal year beginning January 1, 2023.
GASB Statement No. 96 Subscription-Based Information Technology Arrangements, effective for the fiscal
year beginning January 1, 2023.
GASB Statement No. 97, Certain Component Unit Criteria, and Accounting and Financial Reporting for
Internal Revenue Code Section 457 Deferred Compensation Plans—an amendment of GASB Statements No.
14 and No. 84, and a supersession of GASB Statement No. 32, effective for the fiscal year beginning January
1, 2022.
We recommend management review these standards to determine the impact they may have on the City’s
financial reporting.
Management’s Response
City staff will review all recent and upcoming GASB statements and ensure that any required changes are
incorporated in future financial reporting.
PRIOR YEAR COMMENTS
In the prior year, we issued certain comments and recommendations in regard to the City’s accounting, internal
control and financial reporting issues. The following table summarizes the nature of these comments, the
significance of the comments as described in the prior year’s reports, and our determination of the status of
those comments.
Prior Year Comment
Description Significance Current Year Status
Financial Reporting We identified an adjustment that w as required to properly report certain
transactions in accordance w ith generally accepted accounting
principles. We recommended that management review year-end clos ing
procedures to ensure that transac tions are properly recorded and
approved in accordance w ith generally accepted accounting princ iples.
Comment is repeated as material
adjustments w ere required to properly
report certain transactions in
accordance w ith generally accepted
accounting principles.
Budgeting For the year ended December 31, 2018, actual expenditures and
transfers out exceeded budgeted appropriations in Reserve Fund by
$8,375, Lease Purchase Agreement Fund by $27,843, Parks Donation
Fund by $13,334, and the Capital Projects Fund by $13,241. We
recommended that management review its processes and procedures
for monitoring and amending the budget.
Comment resolved.
This report is intended solely for the information and use of the Mayor and the Board of Aldermen and the
management of the City and is not intended to be and should not be used by anyone other than these specified
parties.
5
COMPLIANCE REPORT
COCHRAN HEAD VICK & CO., P.C.
Certified Public Accountants
Independent Auditor’s Report On Internal Control Over Financial Reporting And
On Compliance And Other Matters Based On An Audit Of Financial Statements
Performed In Accordance With Government Auditing Standards
To the Honorable Mayor and Board of Aldermen
City of Parkville, Missouri
We have audited, in accordance with the auditing standards generally accepted in the
United States of America and the standards applicable to financial audits contained in
Government Auditing Standards issued by the Comptroller General of the United
States, the financial statements of the governmental activities, the business-type
activities, each major fund, and the aggregate remaining fund information of the City
of Parkville, Missouri (the City), as of and for the year ended December 31, 2019, and
the related notes to the financial statements, which collectively comprise the City’s
basic financial statements and have issued our report thereon dated August 13, 2020.
Internal Control over Financial Reporting
In planning and performing our audit of the financial statements, we considered the
City’s internal control over financial reporting (internal control) to determine the audit
procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances for the purpose of expressing
our opinions on the financial statements, but not for the purpose of expressing an
opinion on the effectiveness of the City’s internal control. Accordingly, we do not
express an opinion on the effectiveness of the City’s internal control.
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 a 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. 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.
Our consideration of internal control was for the limited purpose described in the first
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 have not been identified. We did
identify a certain deficiency in internal control described in the accompanying
schedule of findings and responses as item 2019-001 that we consider to be a
material weakness.
1251 NW Briarcliff Pkwy
Suite 125
Kansas City, MO 64116
(816) 584-9955
Fax (816) 584-9958
Other Offices in
Missouri and Kansas
Compliance and Other Matters
As part of obtaining reasonable assurance about whether the City’s financial statements are free from
material misstatement, we performed tests of its compliance with certain provisions of laws, regulations,
contracts, and grant agreements, noncompliance with which could have a direct and material effect on the
determination of financial statement amounts. However, providing an opinion on compliance with those
provisions was not an objective of our audit, and accordingly, we do not express such an opinion. The
results of our tests disclosed no instances of noncompliance or other matters that are required to be
reported under Government Auditing Standards.
The City’s Response to the Findings
The City’s response to the finding identified in our audit is described in the accompanying schedule of
findings and responses. The City’s response was not subjected to the auditing procedures applied in the
audit of the financial statements and, accordingly, we express no opinion on it.
Purpose of this Report
The purpose of this report is solely to describe the scope of our testing of internal control and compliance
and the results of that testing, and not to provide an opinion on the effectiveness of the entity’s internal
control or on compliance. This report is an integral part of an audit performed in accordance with
Government Auditing Standards in considering the entity’s internal control and compliance. Accordingly,
this communication is not suitable for any other purpose.
Kansas City, Missouri
August 13, 2020
7
City of Parkville, Missouri
Schedule of Findings and Responses
For the Year Ended December 31, 2019
2019-001 Financial Reporting
Condition
Our audit procedures identified adjustments that were required to properly report certain transactions of
the City in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. These adjustments were not initially
identified by the City’s internal controls over financial reporting.
Criteria
Internal controls should be in place to ensure year-end balances and external financial reporting conforms
to generally accepted accounting principles.
Cause
Year-end procedures were not sufficient to identify the adjustments noted above in a timely manner.
Effect
Potential exists for material misstatements to the financial statements.
Recommendation
We recommend that management review year-end closing procedures to ensure that transactions are
properly recorded in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Additionally, due to the
complexities of financial reporting, we recommend that management continue exploring various
alternatives for improving the controls over financial reporting including the use of governmental
accounting standards, reference guides and continuing education and training courses.
Management’s Response/Corrective Action
The adjustment referenced above was largely due to timing differences for invoices to the City processed
through direct debit transactions, which were paid in the current month, but not recorded in the City
financial records until the following month. A new method for recording these transactions has been put
into effect which should eliminate the issue.
Staff will do a better job of working with our auditors during the year as questions arise that they might be
able to provide direction on. Audit adjustments have decreased each year and staff will continue to strive
for no audit adjustments in the future. Staff will use all available reference guides to provide a checklist of
tasks to ensure accurate and timely financial reporting Staff understands that the City is ultimately
accountable for the accuracy of the financial statements and will endeavor to increase the in-house
knowledge of governmental accounting standards to improve this reporting process in the future. To that
end, City staff will be scheduling periodic meeting with Cochran Head Vick & Co., P.C. personnel
throughout the year as questions arise to be sure all unusual events are accounted for correctly initially.
The Board of Aldermen approved a budget that increased funding and time available for professional
development for finance staff with the idea of both the Finance/Human Resources Director and the City
Treasurer attending relevant training opportunities. The Finance/Human Resources Director attended the
Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) Update Webinar to learn about the most recent
developments in accounting and financial reporting for state and local governments. He was scheduled to
attend the Government Finance Officer of Missouri (GFOA) Winter Seminar and Spring Conference, but
both of these events were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The City Treasurer was scheduled
to attend the Tyler Connect Conference and the GFOA Conference, but did not due to the pandemic.
Finance staff are seeking available virtual training opportunities and anticipate additional in-person
training in 2021.
8