Independent Auditors’ Management Letter Essay

To the Honorable Board of County Commissioners of Lee County, Florida: We have audited the financial statements of the governmental activities, the business-type activities, each major fund, and the aggregate remaining fund information of Lee County, Florida (the â€Å"County†) as of and for the year ended September 30, 2011, and have issued our report thereon dated March 8, 2012. We conducted our audit in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America; the standards applicable to financial audits contained in Government Auditing Standards, issued by the Comptroller General of the United States; and OMB Circular A-133, Audits of States, Local Governments, and NonProfit Organizations. We have issued our 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, Independent Auditorsà ¢â‚¬â„¢ Report on Compliance with Requirements that Could Have a Direct and Material Effect on Each Major Federal Awards Program and State Financial Assistance Project and on Internal Control Over Compliance, and Schedule of Findings and Questioned Costs. Disclosures in those reports and schedule, which are dated March 8, 2012, should be considered in conjunction with this management letter. Additionally, our audit was conducted in accordance with Chapter 10.550, Rules of the Auditor General, which governs the conduct of local governmental entity audits performed in the State of Florida. This letter includes the following information, which is not included in the aforementioned auditors’ reports or schedule. Section 10.554(1)(i)1., Rules of the Auditor General, requires that we determine whether or not corrective actions have been taken to address findings and recommendations made in the preceding annual financial audit report. There were no findings and recommendations made in the preceding annual financial audit report with respect to the Board of County Commissioners (the â€Å"Board†). With respect to the Clerk of the Circuit Court, Property Appraiser, Sheriff, Supervisor of Elections, and Tax Collector (collectively the â€Å"County agencies†), reference to whether corrective actions have been taken is provided in separate management letters for each County agency. Section 10.554(1)(i)2., Rules of the Auditor General, requires our audit to include a review of the provisions of Section 218.415, Florida Statutes, regarding the investment of public funds. In connection with our audit of the financial statements of the County, nothing came to our attention that would cause us to believe that the County was in noncompliance with Section 218.415 regarding the investment of public funds. Section 10.554(1)(i)3., Rules of the Auditor General, requires that we address in the management letter any recommendations to improve financial management. In connection with our audit of the Board, we did not have any such findings. Reference to such matters is provided in separ ate letters for each County agency, where applicable. Section 10.554(1)(i)4., Rules of the Auditor General, requires that we address violations of provisions of contracts or grant agreements, or abuse, that have occurred, or are likely to have occurred, that have an effect on the financial statements that is less than material but more than inconsequential. In connection with our audit, we did not have any findings other than those reported in the Schedule of Findings and Questioned Costs. Section 10.554(1)(i)5., Rules of the Auditor General, provides that the auditor may, based on professional judgment, report the following matters that have an inconsequential effect on financial statements, considering both quantitative and qualitative factors: (1) violations of provisions of contracts or grant agreements, fraud, illegal acts, or abuse, and (2) deficiencies in internal control that are not significant deficiencies. Reference to such matters is provided in Appendix A for the Board. We did not audit the responses to our recommendations, which are also provided in Appendix A, and, accordingly, we express no opinion on them. Reference to such matters is provided in separate management letters for each County agency, where applicable. Section 10.554(1)(i)6., Rules of the Auditor General, requires that the name or official title and legal authority for the primary government and each component unit of the reporting entity be disclosed in the management letter, unless disclosed in the notes to the financial statements. Such disclosure is included in the notes to the financial statements. Section 10.554(1)(i)7.a., Rules of the Auditor General, requires a statement be included as to whether or not the local governmental entity has met one or more of the conditions described in Section 218.503(1), Florida Statutes, and identification of the specific condition(s) met. In connection with our audit of the financial statements of the County, the results of our tests did not indicate the County met any of the specified conditions of a financial emergency contained in Section 218.503(1). However, our audit does not provide a legal determination on the County’s compliance with this requirement. Section 10.554(1)(i)7.b., Rules of the Auditor General, requires that we determine whether the annual financial report for the County for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2011, filed with the Florida Department of Financial Services pursuant to Section 218.32(1)(a), Florida Statutes, is in agreement with the annual financial audit report for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2011. Our comparison of the financial report filed with the Florida Department of Financial Services to the County’s 2011 audited financial statements resulted in no material differences. Pursuant to Sections 10.554(1)(i)7.c. and 10.556(7), Rules of the Auditor General, we applied financial condition assessment procedures as of September 30, 2011. It is management’s responsibility to monitor the County’s financial condition, and our financial condition assessment was based in part on representations made by management and the review of financial information provided by same. This letter is intended solely for the information and use of management, the Board of County Commissioners of Lee County, Florida, the Florida Auditor General and applicable federal and state agencies, and is not intended to be and should not be used by anyone other than these specified parties. Orlando, Florida March 8, 2012 LEE COUNTY, FLORIDA Appendix A – Management Letter Comments For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2011 Observation 2011-A Statement of Condition: The Clerk’s Finance and Records Department periodically reviews construction in progress with the County departments to determine which projects should be capitalized and depreciated. However, we noted during our audit that the governmental activities construction in progress balance at September 30, 2011 included certain projects that had been completed or abandoned before year-end. Criteria: Construction in progress projects should be reclassified to depreciable assets once substantially completed and available for service. If the County determines a project is no longer viable, the construction in progress should be expensed. Effect of condition: Construction in progress for governmental activities in the amount of $8,061,000 was not reclassified as depreciable assets at September 30, 2011, and related depreciation expen se and accumulated depreciation were not recorded. In addition, the County expensed $1,242,000 of construction in progress for a project that was abandoned. Cause of condition: The process in place for notification of when construction in progress is substantially complete and available for service or when projects are no longer viable, was not sufficient to identify such projects for proper recording. Recommendation: We recommend that County departments be more diligent in reviewing the status of construction in progress and notify the Clerk’s Finance and Records Department when projects are substantially complete and available for service or when they determine a project should be abandoned. Management’s response: We have asked our external auditors to provide instruction to the Board’s fiscal personnel on this matter, including the importance of capitalizing or writing off construction in progress in a timely manner. Observation 2011-B Statement of Condition: The cost of interest related to borrowings on construction in progress had not been sufficiently capitalized prior to audit review. Criteria: Accounting principles state that interest shall be capitalized for assets in enterprise funds that are constructed for the enterprise’s own use if the effect of expensing such interest is material. Effect of condition: Capitalized interest cost related to construction in progress was recalculated and recorded in the amount of approximately $1 million. Cause of condition: The calculation of capitalized interest had not included all construction in progress on which interest was to be capitalized. Recommendation: We recommend that the Clerk’s Finance and Records Department review construction in progress annually and determine the amount of interest that should be capitalized. Management’s response: The issue was related to accruing interest for construction in progress based on the total amount of construction in progress rather than the amount that was capitalized in the current year. This has been corrected. LEE COUNTY, FLORIDA Appendix A – Management Letter Comments For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2011 Observation 2011-C Statement of Condition: During our testing of cash management compliance for the Emergency Operations Center State grant, it was noted that $138,000 of expenditures, out of $849,000 in total, were not requested for reimbursement in the annual reimbursement request. Criteria: Reimbursements requests should include all expenditures for which the County has disbursed payment to vendors for the specific time period. Effect of Condition: Reimbursement for certain invoices was not requested and the County did not receive all of the monies to which it was entitled in a timely manner, which could result in cash flow issues for the program. Cause of Condition: The County did not reconcile the reimbursement request to the accounting records. Recommendation: We recommend that management establish a process to reconcile to the accounting records when preparing reimbursement requests. Management’s Response: Future requests for reimbursement will be made in the same year that they were expended. Observation 2011-D Statement of Condition: The County’s practice has been to write off uncollectable EMS receivables as bad debt expenditures. Criteria: Discounts and allowances in revenue-related governmental fund accounts should be recorded as revenue reductions, rather than as bad debt expenditures. Effect of Condition: EMS revenues and bad debt expenditures were overstated by $6,106,000. This also created a financial statement budget variance because bad debt expenditures have been recorded but not budgeted. Cause of Condition: The long-standing County practice has been to record all uncollectable receivables as bad debt expenditures. Recommendation: We recommend that management modify accounting practices to reduce revenue for uncollectable revenue-related governmental fund accounts receivable. Management’s Response: We will look at this issue in the upcoming fiscal year and handle it appropriately.

Sample Lesson Using the Inductive Approach

sample lesson: simple future June 5th, 2012 Introduction: This sample lesson is made for beginners (kids) for explaining simple future with an inductive approach. Using some visual aids to get the attention of the students through examples like, dialogs, conversations, images and videos. Teaching in a generative situation, which follows the real world is used in order to generate a real environment to make students experience like in the real life. Making students apply the language in the real situation is the most crucial.This means that the purpose of learning language is to realize how to use it correctly in a right situation. Natural language acquisition means that learning a language at an environment of non-intervention, the best approach of experimental learning is that situates the learner at the environment which is full of our foreign language, and it’s as the acquisition of our first language. Simple Lesson: Teaching simple future through dialogs. (begginers) The t eacher shows a video of a trip, taken from a website to the students, using it as the introduction of the simple future with appropriate vocabulary to the group. Places, food, activities). Step 1. The teacher plays a little conversation about a trip. Mary: What will you do in your summer vacations? Paul: I will go to the beach with my family. Mary: Will you go to a Mexican beach? Paul: Yes, I will. I will travel to Cancun. And what will you travel the next vacations? Mary: No, I won’t. I just will stay here. Paul: Oh, I will bring you something from Cancun. Mary: thanks! Then the teacher asks them: what are they talking about? * Last weekend * Next weekend * Every weekendThen he gives some seconds to the students to think about the answer. Step 2. Here, the Teacher shows an image in this case it would be a beach and ask students to say some ideas according to the image. For example: Travel by car Take pictures Swim Eat seafood, etc. Then the teacher writes the list of words o r sentences on the board. Step 3. The teacher writes on the board, the following: I will (say the ideas they gave) You He she I will (say the ideas they gave) You He sheThe teacher is going to read the first one: ‘ I will travel by car’ Then the students are going to continue with the following examples to form a simple future sentence with the information they gave. After that, the teacher asks them to repeat with he the sentences. Step 4. In this step, the students create some sentence using real information like what will they do the next weekend, to evaluate the knowledge learned. Discussion: In this sample lesson, chosen a video of a trip leaves students watch and understand the context and they can realized what the video is about.The teacher also chose an image that is so useful in this case, because it leaves students to think about activities or use their imagination to produce ideas related to the image. Asking students to read sentences using the rule but not provide it them like an explanation leaves them to discover the rule applied, and notice about the new item and may lead them to work out the rules by induction. In step 1 the rule is a little provided, without an explanation, for the students and they can realize that they’re talking about next activities.And listening skill is required to attend the attention to students to the form. In steps 2 and 3 students are more closely to describe activities used to talk about future. And in step 4 students are capable to demonstrate of the new item. Evaluation E-factor: in terms of efficacy this sample lesson is efficient if the vocabulary provided is comprehensible or the video used is adaptable for kids. It is also essential that the video and the conversation are intelligible by reference and context. A problem here is that the internet couldn’t work so that would make difficult the class.This detracts from the ease of preparation. If the video and the conversation are to o long it will require a lot of time, reducing the economy factor. And in terms of efficacy the contextual support they gave with the ideas related to the image, the conversation and the video scores highly in terms of efficacy. A-factor: students will be familiar with the conversation because it was with appropriate vocabulary for beginners (kids). The use of dialogs, videos, images matches learners of how language is used in the real world.Also through inductive approach students can discover the rule through examples. Conclusion This sample lesson was referred with the inductive approach in which students learned through experience and discover by themselves. The rule so in this case they fit their mental structures than in a deductive approach. And students are more involved in the learning process. Using this approach is easier for beginners to learn new rules because they interact more participating, and are more likely to work in the activities presented. And learn through ex perience that is the natural route to learning.

Endangered African Penguin Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Endangered African Penguin - Essay Example Usually a penguin would consume about 500 grams of fish every day and during breeding they may even consume up to 1000 grams (New England Aquarium, 2012). As in the early part of the 20th century about 1.5 million penguin were estimated to inhabit the Southern African region and since then, they population have been on the downtrend and have now decreased to 5 to 10% of their original numbers. The main threats to their survival is that commercial fishing is beginning to threaten their diet and most often they have to seek food in deeper water or consume less nutritious food. Besides, global warming have increased temperatures. There are other causes for their decline including human consumption being considered a delicacy in Africa, exposure to oil slicks (especially the MV Treasure which sank in June 2000), El Nino effects (which causes severe food shortages in their habitat areas) and presence of several natural predators (such as sharks, seals, mongoose, cats and seagulls) (Robert J. M. Crawford, 2006). The African penguin is at the risk of extinction and is listed as an endangered species in the Red Data Book and by the USA Endangered Species Act. Today the number of African penguins are about 55000, from 200,000 in the year 2000. Their decline is very rapid and many of the Environmental protection and Governmental are working tirelessly to monitor the number of birds, creating artificial rearing centers, and protecting the habitat areas of the birds from human activities and some of the natural predators (Robert J. M. Crawford, 2006). The African Penguin is interesting mainly because it gives out a braying sound like a donkey, similar to many of its cousin species in South America. They have have black and white stripes all over their body, and these stripes are unique to each individual penguin. Further, this black and white stripes are useful camouflage when the birds are swimming, as

2 Synthesis paragraphs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

2 Synthesis paragraphs - Essay Example p). The author suggests that, â€Å"Physician assisted suicide disproportionately affects the poor and people living with disabilities (Acton, n. p).† This implies that the assisted suicide affects the poor and people living with disabilities who cannot afford other health care services. The medical institutions are profit-driven in which doctors try to minimize costs by reducing care. The physicians fear that the medical expenses incurred by the vulnerable groups will surpass their medical coverage limitations, leading to losses at the hospitals. The notion of undermining the disabled has been thwarted by the state governments with legislations aimed at empowering them to enjoy services like others. For instance, Oregon has a comprehensive medical plan that supports assisted suicide patients by allowing them to obtain lethal drugs (Acton, n. p). The author suggests that, â€Å"the six month rule that only patients with less than six months to live can qualify for assisted suicide (Acton, n. p).† However, the mentally ill are given the lethal drugs due to faulty prognosis conducted by the physicians. This arises if the doctors feel that someone is mentally ill and having the lethal drug would be the only amicable choice for them. The other protection of the vulnerable patients is the six-month rule in which the sick with a minimum of six months to live can qualify for the assisted suicide (Acton, n. p). In another article, George Dvorsky contends that it should be someone’s rights to request for assisted suicide. The author contends that, â€Å"As it stands, physician-assisted suicide is illegal in most jurisdictions (Dvorsky, n. p).† The notion is that people should be ready to observe laws that support assisted suicide, especially in the era of technological adoption. Life support systems are gaining recognition in hospitals and this shall

Contemporary issues in management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Contemporary issues in management - Essay Example In many settings, the growth of the society was only beneficial to those who could understand the position of the society when dealing with issues that matter. The only way of benefiting any society is if a company can understand its wants and offer the right product to deal with the issues in place. The contemporary issues dealt with at all levels of management aim at showing the weaknesses and avenues of gaining strength. This report will explore these issues in Apple Inc and create an analysis of issues taking place after examining a wide berth of literature on the topic. An important thing that managers appreciate is the fact that historical perceptions of theory work towards meeting the growing needs of the management processes across the world. The early management pioneers needed to show the world that respect and dignity were essential only if they implemented what was ideal for the employees provided they allowed people to enjoy the process as a whole. An examination of the classical, behavioural, and quantitative perspectives of managing employees within the workplace shows that things are changing in the workplace and reveal the important contemporary issues in the management perspectives chosen by modern-day multinational companies. The classical view sees performance as a means of achieving better results by using what is proven to work as a way of promoting productivity. The behavioural aspect examines the way employers treat their employees while at work. Many argue that the growth of any company has to deal with the increasing of product ivity to match the intended performance levels. The quantitative approach looks at cumulative impacts of the processes used and their impact on productivity. The focus will be on understanding corporate management issues based on an examination of a single company. The examination of contemporary management issues will be easily done by looking at one of the most renowned

External and internal environments Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

External and internal environments - Assignment Example Likewise a course of action is enumerated that helps Apple overcome its primary weakness and bypass its biggest threat. A modest attempt is made to understand the resources, capabilities and core competencies of the company. Finally, a value chain analysis of Apple has been conducted to identify the linkages between different primary and secondary activities and also understand how the interaction between these activities leads to sources of competitive advantage. The general environment includes political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal aspects. The technological environment and economic environment of Apple have been discussed in the ensuring paragraphs. Apple operates in a highly competitive and dynamic business environment. The American multinational has developed some immensely popular gadgets like the iPhone, iPad, and the iPod. The company has also diversified into related software applications, operating systems and a variety of accessory and support offerings. Some of the recent innovations from the company include the iTunes Store, iBooks Store and iCloud (Apple, 2014). The technological environment has a monumental affect on the business operations of Apple. The fast rate of change in technology has the potency to render Apple’s products obsolete. The company’s offerings tend to have a short product life cycle as customers demand state-of-the-art products. It is for this reason that Apple has launched numerous generations of the iconic iPhone. Apple recognizes the impact of technological environment on its business and has made new product development central to its business strategy. The company spends a lot of money on research and development (R&D) which helps it in developing innovative products from time to time. Apple spent $ 4,475 million on R&D in 2013, up 32 percent from $3,381 million incurred on R&D in 2012 (Apple,

Income determination Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Income determination - Research Proposal Example Consequently, this topic has become attractive making many researchers to shift attention towards the same as a vital dissertation topic. Surprisingly, unearthing the variety of macroeconomic and microeconomic factors to be incorporated in the computation of income, stands erected as the major stumbling block despite the recent research benchmarked against much effort and focus peddled to weed out this phenomenon. According the research findings of Michael Sare pegged at showcasing the inevitable and direct relationship between income distribution and macroeconomic factors, (The Cross Country 1997), real depreciation for LDCs, trade improvements, higher income, growth rates, and high investment rates are the vital variables associated to regional income determination. A reciprocal relation is also looming between investment and growth-facilitating policies and enhancement of in income distribution. Public expenditures and inflation are the centerpieces as policy variables that have greater magnitudes on income distribution. Income distribution attaches so little to inflation fluctuations, price ratio of investment, external position, level of real change and changes in public consumptions. People employ a tendency to trade off between equity and growth and attaches disadvantaged economic segments as the significant beneficiaries of economic growth. According to Deininger and Squire (1996), unearths beneficial evidence linking proceeding growth to initial income disparity. Bruno, Ravallion and Squire (1996), showcased that subsequent growth is attached to preceding distributed endowments of income and assets, and that, poverty eradication impacts is more felt by LDCs as compared to developed countries based on growth processes. With respect to Milanovik (1994), sets to illustrate unique reason behind lower income inequalities in developed nations as resulting from not only significant of social choice elements such as employment and