RFP 2026-02-001 FY 25 Audit Services

McDuffie County Board of Commissioners in Thomson, Georgia is issuing Request for Proposals (RFP) 2026-02-001 for professional auditing services to conduct annual financial audits for three consecutive fiscal years beginning with the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, through December 31, 2028, subject to annual review and appropriation availability. The County seeks qualified certified public accounting firms capable of performing audits in accordance with Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (GAAS) and Government Auditing Standards, encompassing governmental activities, business-type activities, component units, major funds, and aggregate remaining fund information. Required deliverables include ten bound copies of the audit report, a management letter addressing accounting exceptions and internal control deficiencies, preliminary drafts for County review and approval, an oral presentation to the County Commission, and retention of working papers for a minimum of three years. The pricing proposal must be submitted in a separate sealed envelope and should include total hours by staff classification with corresponding hourly rates, resulting in an all-inclusive maximum fee for each fiscal year that encompasses out-of-pocket costs and financial statement preparation services. Evaluation criteria consist of technical responsiveness (30 points), technical experience of the firm (15 points), staff qualifications and continuing education (15 points), firm size and structure (10 points), prior experience with emphasis on work quality and timeliness (15 points), and pricing (15 points). Proposals must be received by March 6, 2026, at 3:00 PM at the McDuffie County Finance Department, 210 Railroad Street, Thomson, GA 30824, with the County anticipating audit completion by June 30, 2026. Written questions regarding the RFP must be submitted via email to Brandon Burton, County Manager, no later than 5:00 PM on February 26, 2026, with responses provided via addenda by February 27, 2026.

McDuffie County reserves the right to award to a local McDuffie County business if the bid is not more than 4% higher than the lowest bid received, representing a local preference provision. The County's financial operations encompass approximately $44.2 million in governmental fund expenditures, $10.2 million in proprietary fund expenditures, and a total payroll of $16 million covering approximately 369 full-time, part-time, and seasonal employees distributed across twenty-seven funds. McDuffie County uses Tyler Technologies Financial Software and maintains forty-three active accounts with Cadence Bank plus savings accounts with the Georgia Local Investment Pool, requiring proposing firms to demonstrate compatibility with existing infrastructure and accounting systems. The County's fiscal year ends December 31, with the Finance Department closing the prior year in March and audit preparation beginning by the second week of April, establishing key scheduling parameters for the selected firm. No specific incumbent vendor information or disadvantaged enterprise set-asides have been identified in the procurement documentation. While specific award values are not explicitly stated, the all-inclusive maximum fee structure for each fiscal year should be estimated based on the complexity and scope of McDuffie County's financial operations, which serve as the basis for pricing proposals.