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Selectmen waive bidding, approve multi-year auditor engagement amid tight market for municipal auditors
Summary
Faced with limited bids and rising market rates, the board waived procurement requirements and approved an engagement letter with Plaza and Sanderson, P.A. for audits through 2029, with fees rising from about $26,000 in 2027 to $28,000 in 2029.
Town staff told the board that many audit firms are not accepting new municipal clients and that competitive bids are scarce. The town’s current auditor, Jim Roberge, is retiring; staff recommended waiving the normal bid/quote requirements under procurement policy 3.1 to accept an engagement letter from Plaza and Sanderson, P.A.
Under the engagement summary presented to the board, Plaza and Sanderson proposed fees of about $26,000 for the 2027 audit, $27,000 for 2028 and $28,000 for 2029, with a non-appropriation clause and additional single-audit fees (roughly $5,000 per federal program if a single-audit is required). Diane, the town administrator, told the board she had solicited quotes and found that market responses were limited and that several firms decline small-town engagements or quoted far higher prices.
After discussion, a motion to waive the bid requirement and accept the engagement letter passed; the chair was authorized to execute the engagement and the town administrator to manage the contract. Board members asked staff to document the procurement rationale in the file, given the noncompetitive award.
Staff characterized the recommended firm as experienced in New Hampshire municipal audits and said the proposed fees were higher than the town’s current $16,000 annual cost but substantially lower than some out-of-state quotes staff said they had seen.
Next steps: staff will finalize the engagement letter, document the waiver under procurement policy and proceed with scheduling the 2027 audit.
