Solicitation for Audit Services

The City of Seaside, Oregon and the Sunset Empire Park and Recreation District have jointly issued a Request for Proposals for municipal audit services, with proposals due May 4, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. The City of Seaside operates with an annual budget of approximately $35-$40 million and 100-125 employees, while the Sunset Empire Park and Recreation District has an annual budget of approximately $4 million and 55-65 employees. The procurement seeks qualified independent Certified Public Accounting firms licensed in Oregon to provide annual financial statement audits in compliance with ORS 297.425, Minimum Standards for Audits of Oregon Municipal Corporations, and Government Auditing Standards. Required services include financial statement audits prepared in accordance with GAAP, Single Audits if applicable, evaluation of internal controls and compliance, preparation or assistance with financial statement preparation, and completion of required filings with the Oregon Secretary of State. Deliverables include an Independent Auditor's Report, draft and final financial statements, a management letter with findings and recommendations, state reporting submissions, planning conferences, interim and final fieldwork coordination, exit conferences, and presentations to governing bodies. Proposals must include firm qualifications demonstrating experience auditing similarly sized Oregon municipal governments with peer review results, identification of the engagement partner and key staff with governmental audit experience, a detailed audit approach with methodology and proposed timeline, at least three references from Oregon municipal clients, and a comprehensive fee proposal with fixed fees for each contract year, identification of first-year versus recurring costs, and hourly rates for additional services. The City will evaluate proposals based on overall qualifications and suitability to meet its needs rather than price alone, with interviews potentially scheduled May 11-15, 2026, and selection targeted for May 22, 2026. Important procedural dates include April 15, 2026 for submission of questions, May 3, 2026 for proposal submission, and a contract commencement date of July 1, 2026.

No specific set-aside designations, disadvantaged enterprise restrictions, or incumbent vendor information is identified in the solicitation materials. The procurement does not reference existing infrastructure or technology integration requirements specific to either entity. The initial contract term is three fiscal years with optional extensions of up to two additional one-year terms subject to mutual agreement and satisfactory performance. The City of Seaside will administer the solicitation process, and depending on the selected firm's qualifications and the parties' preferences, the outcome may result in one contract with the City only or two coordinated contracts with both the City and the District. While no specific budget allocation is explicitly stated in the RFP, the combined annual audit scope for both entities suggests a contract value consistent with auditing services for municipal governments with combined budgets totaling approximately $39-$44 million annually. Proposals must be submitted to zfleck@cityofseaside.us and Sarchibald@sunsetempire.com, with proposals remaining valid for 180 days.