CHAPTER 178
H.P. 1050 - L.D. 1431
An Act To Update the Requirements of Counties' and Municipalities' Audit Reports
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 30-A MRSA §702, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. A, §2 and Pt. C, §106 and amended by PL 1989, c. 6, c. 9, §2 and c. 104, Pt. C, §§8 and 10, is further amended to read:
1. Estimates sent to Legislature for approval; amendments. The county clerk shall record the estimates made under section 701 in a book. A copy of the estimates shall must be signed by the chairman chair of the county commissioners and attested by their clerk. The clerk shall transmit that copy to the office of the Secretary of State on or before the first day of each January, together with the county reports under section 952 952-A for the 2 preceding years, to be presented by the Secretary of State to the Legislature for its approval.
A. Except as otherwise provided, the Legislature may change or alter specific line categories within the county estimates before approving a budget.
Sec. 2. 30-A MRSA §951, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. A, §2 and Pt. C, §106 and amended by PL 1989, c. 6, c. 9, §2 and c. 104, Pt. C, §§8 and 10, is further amended to read:
1. Annual audit. Every county shall have an audit made of its accounts annually covering the last complete fiscal year by the Department of Audit or by a certified public accountant selected by the county commissioners. The audit must be performed in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards and procedures pertaining to governmental accounting and must include a management letter covering the audit of the operational aspects of the county, as well as suggestions which the auditor considers advisable for the proper administration of the county. The auditor shall produce at least those reports on those forms an audit report that includes the items required in section 952 952-A. When an audit is conducted by a certified public accountant, the audit, upon completion, shall must be forwarded to the Department of Audit. The audit, including the management letter, is a public document.
Sec. 3. 30-A MRSA §952, as enacted by PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. A, §2 and Pt. C, §106 and amended by PL 1989, c. 6, c. 9, §2 and c. 104, Pt. C, §§8 and 10, is repealed.
Sec. 4. 30-A MRSA §952-A is enacted to read:
1. Report contents. The report required pursuant to section 951, subsection 1 must contain the following items:
A. A management letter;
B. A letter of transmittal;
C. The independent auditor's report on the financial statements; and
D. All financial statements and all other information required by governmental accounting and financial reporting standards.
2. Copies for distribution. Copies of the report must be deposited in the county commissioners' office or a convenient place of business for distribution to the public and must be distributed to each municipality in the county.
3. Copies open for inspection. Copies of the report and all county records must be kept in the county commissioners' office and must be open to the inspection of the public during usual business hours.
Sec. 5. 30-A MRSA §5823, sub-§3, ¶A, as repealed and replaced by PL 1997, c. 142, §1, is amended to read:
A. The report must contain the following items:
(1) A management letter, if applicable;
(2) A letter of transmittal;
(3) The independent auditor's report on the financial statements; and
(4) Financial statements that contain at a minimum: All financial statements and all other information required by governmental accounting and financial reporting standards.
(a) A balance sheet;
(b) A statement of revenues and expenditures;
(c) A statement of budgeted revenues and expenditures versus actual revenues and expenditures; and
(d) All other financial statements required by governmental accounting and financial reporting standards.
Effective September 13, 2003, unless otherwise indicated.
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