Project Information

Bid Title

Request for Audit Services

Issuing Agency

Town of Cohasset

Location

Massachusetts

Published Date

Oct 28, 2025

Closing Date

Dec 4, 2025

Government Level

State & Local

Status

Closed

Original Source

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Bid Documents

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Project Description

Bid Title:	Request for Audit Services
Category:	Bid Opportunities
Status:	Open

Publication Date/Time: 10/23/2025 12:00 AM Closing Date/Time: Open Until Contracted Related Documents: RFP - Audit Services FY26-FY28

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TOWN OF COHASSET, MASSACHUSETTS Bids for

Audit Services

Fiscal Years 2026 through 2028

October 23, 2025

Proposals Due:

Thursday December 4, 2025 at 1:00 P.M.

Late proposals will be rejected

DELIVER COMPLETED SUBMISSIONS TO:

Town of Cohasset ATTN:

Michelle Leary

41 Highland Ave, Cohasset, MA 01985 Email:

mleary@cohassetma.gov

TOWN OF COHASSET, MASSACHUSETTS Bid for Audit

Services

AUDIT SERVICES

The Town of Cohasset, Massachusetts invites qualified independent certified public accounting

firms, licensed to practice in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and with prior experience in

municipal financial statement audits, to submit written fix-fee proposals to conduct independent

financial audit services for the Town. This shall include but not be limited to an audit of the

Town’s federal awards, if necessary; prepare a management letter with recommendations for

cost-beneficial improvements in the Town’s financial reporting and controls over financial

reporting; and to perform agreed upon procedures related to the fiscal management of the Town,

in accordance with the specifications summarized below. The quoted fee shall be all-inclusive

for all required services.

INFORMATION FURNISHED TO PROPOSERS:

General Information

The Town of Cohasset has a fiscal year 2025 operating budget of approximately $60 million. The

Town has a AAA bond rating from S&P.

The executive powers of the town are vested in the Select Board with an appointed Town

Manager. The senior financial management team of the Town consists of the Town Manager,

Town Treasurer/Collector, Town Accountant and Director of Assessing.

The most recent audit of the Town of Cohasset and its component units was for the fiscal year

ended June 30, 2024. The public accounting firm of CBIZ CPAs P.C completed this audit. The

auditor’s reports for previous fiscal years can be found

https://www.cohassetma.gov/184/Finance-Department

Description of Financial Records

The Town maintains its general financial records in accordance with the Revised Uniform

Massachusetts Accounting System on a modified accrual basis.

The general ledger records of the Town are computerized, and the Town uses SoftRight for the

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maintenance of its financial record keeping system and vendor processing. The Town processes

payroll with the Harper’s Payroll Services System.

Cash and receivable reconciliations are made monthly.

The Town financial accounts are closed on an annual basis.

Required Services

Required services consist of:

1. An independent financial audit of the Town’s finances and, if required, federal awards

programs for each of the next three fiscal years. The audit is to be performed in accordance

with generally accepted auditing standards applicable to financial audits contained in

Government Auditing Standards, issued by the Comptroller General of the United States.

2. Completion of a written management letter, which shall identify any management

weaknesses observed, assess their effect on financial management and financial reporting,

and propose steps to correct or eliminate the weaknesses. Prior to the completion of the

management letter, the independent auditor shall meet with the department head of each

department for which there is a management comment to review the findings and the

recommendations in detail.

3. The audit shall be conducted for the purposes of forming an opinion of whether the

financial statements of the Town present fairly the respective financial position of the

governmental activities, discretely presented component unit, each major fund, and the

aggregate remaining fund information of Town as of each June 30th, and the respective

changes in financial position for the years then ended, in conformity with US Generally

Accepted Accounting Principles.

4. The successful proposer will also furnish the following independent Auditor Reports:

a. Independent Auditors Report on Compliance with Requirements that Could Have

a Direct and Material Effect on Each Major Program, Internal Control Over

Compliance and on the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards in Accordance

with OMB Circular A-133.

b. Independent Auditors’ 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

5. In addition to completing the annual audit, the accounting firm shall be available during

normal business hours, throughout the contract period, to provide the Town with advice

and guidance on financial accounting and reporting issues. It is expected that the successful

proposer will designate a senior staff member, at the manager or partner level, who will be

responsible for responding to Town phone calls and e-mail communications within one

business day. The auditor will also be expected to keep the Town informed of the working

requirements of all new accounting and financial matters related to municipalities.

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All audit work-papers that are the property of the auditors shall be considered public records and

shall be retained for a period of time designated by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’s

Supervisor of Public Records. Work-papers shall be available for examination or duplication

without charge to authorized Town personnel, representatives of Federal or State Agencies upon

request of that Agency or the Town in accordance with Federal Law, State Law and other

regulations. Working papers will also be made available for examination, at no charge, or

duplication, at a reasonable charge, to subsequent auditors engaged by the Town.

Deliverables shall consist of:

1. Ten (10) printed and bound copies of the Financial Audit Report, including the necessary

audit opinion letters.

2. One (1) unbound copy of the Financial Audit Report.

3. One (1) electronic pdf file containing the Financial Audit Report.

4. Ten (10) printed and bound copies of the federal single audit report, including necessary

audit opinion letters and (1) pdf copy.

5. Ten (10) printed and bound copies of the annual management letter and (1) pdf copy.

The auditors shall be responsible for distribution of copies of all reports to state and federal

regulatory and oversight agencies.

Senior representatives of the firm shall conduct an annual audit planning conference with the Town

Manager and Town Accountant at least one month prior to the start of each audit; shall provide the

Town Accountant with progress reports during the course of both preliminary and final audit field

work; and shall be available to make a formal presentation of the results of the audit to the Select

Board and Town Manager.

Time Considerations

The Town expects the preliminary audit work to begin on or about August 1 of each year and the

final audit documents to be completed and delivered no later than December 31 of each year. The

Town is aware that the timely performance of work by the Auditor relies on timely and complete

preparation of financial statements and other materials by Town’s senior financial management

team.

INFORMATION TO BE SUPPLIED BY PROPOSERS:

In order to simplify the evaluation process and obtain maximum comparability, the Town requires

that all responses to Bid Proposal be organized in the manner described in this section. Any

material deviation from this format may result in disqualification of the proposal.

A. Title Page

a. Title

b. Name of Proposer

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c. Address and telephone number of proposer

d. Name of primary contact

e. Submission date

B. Letter of Transmittal

a. Briefly state the proposer's understanding of the work to be performed and make a

positive commitment to complete all work and deliver all written reports within the

specified time frames.

b. Specify an all-inclusive fixed fee for each engagement year, and state that your

proposal is valid for a period of (90) days.

c. The letter must be signed by an individual authorized to contractually bind your

firm (please provide written evidence of the authorization).

C. Table of Contents

a. Include a clear identification of the material by section, and page number. The

following sections are required:

D. Professional Experience

a. Describe your Massachusetts municipal auditing experience during the past three-

year period. Identify the specific partner, and staff that will be assigned to this

engagement and provide copies of the resumes of each. Each resume must identify

specific Massachusetts municipal audit experience, by client name and the time

period, and provide a description of the nature of audit services provided by each

individual expected to be assigned to the Cohasset audit.

b. Provide a description of your firm's municipal auditing continuing education

program, including any continuing education and training that you provide to

clients.

c. Describe the professional quality control program employed by your firm for

municipal audits. Please include a copy of the results of the most recent professional

peer review of your firm.

d. Provide the name, address, and telephone number of at least three (3) Massachusetts

municipal audit client references in organizations of similar size and complexity as

the Town of Cohasset that the Town can contact.

e. Identify any Massachusetts government clients lost over the previous three years

and provide an explanation for each as to the primary reasons why you believe they

discontinued your services.

E. Audit Approach

a. State the proposer's understanding of the services to be performed and the work

products to be delivered.

b. Submit a detailed work plan, including time estimates and staffing requirements for

each major component of the engagement. Please include a brief description of the

specific audit procedures that you anticipate using in each segment of the audit

(cash; revenue; expenditures; etc.).

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Commodity Codes

• NAICS 541211Offices of Certified Public Accountants
• NAICS 541219Other Accounting Services

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