Council committee reviews $119,890 engagement with Boyer & Ritter for 2023 audit; $28,000 addendum sought for 2022 work

The Budget and Finance Committee reviewed Resolution 2-2025, which would authorize the city to negotiate and enter an engagement with Boyer and Ritter LLC to perform the City of Harrisburg’s annual financial audit for the year ending Dec. 31, 2023. Brian McCutcheon, the city’s accounting manager, told the committee the proposed annual fee for the 2023 audit is $119,890.

McCutcheon said the packet includes two parts: the proposed 2023 engagement letter and an addendum to the 2022 audit agreement seeking an additional $28,000 to cover increased work. He explained that the addendum reflects “increased work that had to occur over time,” citing audit scheduling interruptions tied to the city’s implementation of the Munis ERP financial system, remaining mainframe coding differences, the need for additional preparation and documentation, and a period in 2024 when two key finance managerial positions were vacant.

McCutcheon said the city will involve financial analysts on staff to improve readiness for auditors and avoid future stop-starts. He noted the 2022 statements are in draft and that an audit committee meeting will be scheduled before the end of the month to finalize the 2022 audit and move into 2023 audit preparations. Committee members asked about contract review cycles; McCutcheon said Boyer & Ritter began working with the city starting with the 2019 audit after a three-year RFP and optional extensions.

Solicitor Grover noted the audit committee is a council committee and recommended budget chair Green attend the next audit committee meeting. The committee did not vote on the engagement in the work session and the chair recommended placing the resolution on the next legislative agenda for council action.