Terrell council selects Whitley Penn for city audit, rejects separate compliance audit bid
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Summary
Council awarded a three-year audit engagement (with two one-year options) to Whitley Penn LLP at an initial cost estimate of about $67,500 and voted to reject all bids for a separate compliance-audit RFQ because staff said finance lacks capacity to manage a third simultaneous audit.
The Terrell City Council on July 1 awarded RFQ 2025-03 for annual financial audit services to Whitley Penn LLP and authorized the interim city manager to negotiate a three-year engagement with two one-year renewal options. Staff presented Whitley Penn as the top-qualified firm after a competitive qualifications review; the firm’s initial estimated fee for the contract year is about $67,500, compared with the city’s current audit fee of roughly $60,000.
Interim City Manager Mark Mills summarized the procurement and the review panel’s evaluation of four proposals. “From that, the staff is recommending that we select Whitley Penn,” Mills told council, and said the estimated first-year fee would be about $67,500.
Separately, council considered RFQ 2025-02 for a compliance audit covering historic activity in 2023 and early 2025 quarters. Mills recommended rejecting all bids for that compliance audit because only one firm responded and finance staff do not have capacity to support a third simultaneous audit while closing fiscal year 2024 and starting work on FY25. “My biggest concern with this is I do not have the finance staff in place today that can handle 3 audits simultaneously,” Mills said.
Council voted unanimously (members present) to award the standard audit RFQ to Whitley Penn and to reject all bids for the compliance-audit RFQ. The motions were made and seconded by council members present and carried without opposition.
