Professional Auditing Services

Location:	Illinois
Posted:	Oct 30, 2025
Due:	Nov 21, 2025
Agency:	City of Elmhurst Illinois
Type of Government:	State & Local
Category:	R - Professional, Administrative and Management Support Services
Publication URL:	To access bid details, please log in.

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REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

PROFESSIONAL AUDITING SERVICES

for

CITY OF ELMHURST

October 30, 2025

CITY OF ELMHURST

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

PROFESSIONAL AUDIT SERVICES

INTRODUCTION

General Information

The City of Elmhurst, Illinois (“the City”), is requesting competitive proposals for professional

financial audit services from qualified firms of independent certified public accountants (“the

auditor”), to audit the City’s financial statements for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2025 and

to provide these services for four (4) subsequent fiscal years.

INSTRUCTIONS

A. Sealed Proposals

Responses to the Request for Proposal must be submitted in a sealed envelope, clearly

identified as “Proposal for Banking Services”

Proposals and required firm qualifications should be mailed, messengered or hand delivered

to:

Ryan Bruns

Assistant Director of Finance

City of Elmhurst

209 N. York Street

Elmhurst, IL 60126

AND e-mailed in PDF format to Ryan.Bruns@elmhurst.org.

B. Response Instructions

Proposals must be submitted by 4:00 p.m. CDT on Friday, November 21, 2025. The City

shall not be responsible for late delivery of the proposals under any condition. Late

proposals will not be considered.

Six (6) bound copies of the proposal should be returned in a sealed envelope bearing the

name and address of the respondent and labeled “Request for Proposal for Professional Audit

Services”. A copy must also be emailed to Ryan.Bruns@elmhurst.org. It is the proposer’s

responsibility to confirm that the City has received an e-mail submission.

C. Proposal Acceptance Period

Upon submission of the proposal, the Proposer’s offer to provide services, fees and interest

rates will be irrevocable and valid for a period of ninety days after the final date for

submission November 21, 2025.

D. Inquiries from Proposers

Requests for clarification or additional information should be emailed to

Ryan.Bruns@elmhurst.org. Responses to requests will be furnished to all potential proposers.

The cutoff date to receive requests will be November 14, 2025. Responses received after

November 14, 2025, will not be answered.

E. Timetable

Distribution of Request for Proposal

Deadline for inquiries from proposers

Proposals due no later than 4:00 p.m.

Recommendation to Finance Committee

Recommendation to City Council

*Date subject to change based upon City

meeting schedule

October 30, 2025

November 14, 2025

November 21, 2025

December 8, 2025*

January 5, 2026*

PROPOSAL FORMAT

A. Overview of Required Sections

1. Title Page

2. Table of Contents

3. Transmittal Letter

4. Statement of Independence

5. License to Practice in Illinois

6. Firm Qualifications and Experience

7. Engagement Team Qualifications and Experience

8. Similar Engagements with Other Government Entities

9. Specific Audit Approach

10. Fee Proposal

11. Insurance

12. Attachments Requested

B. Title Page

The title page will include the subject of the Request For Proposal; the proposing firm’s

name, address and contact information; the date of proposal.

C. Table of Contents

The proposal should include a Table of Contents section at the beginning of the proposal that

includes all contents and attachments.

D. Transmittal Letter

Each proposal shall include a signed letter that states the firm’s understanding of the work to

be done, confirms the firm’s commitment to performing the work within the established time

period, states why the firm believes itself to be best qualified to perform the engagement, and

states that the proposal is a firm and irrevocable offer for 90 days from the date of the letter.

E. Statement of Independence

The firm shall provide an affirmative statement that it is independent of the City as defined

by generally accepted auditing standards. The firm shall also list and describe the firm's

professional relationships involving the City or any of its agencies, its elected or appointed

officials and employees during the past five (5) years, together with a statement explaining

why such relationships, if any, do not constitute a conflict of interest relative to performing

the proposed audit.

In addition, the firm shall give the City written notice of any professional relationships

entered into during the period of this agreement should it be thought to cause a conflict of

interest.

F. License to Practice in Illinois

An affirmative statement should be included indicating that the firm and all assigned key

professional staff are properly licensed to practice in Illinois.

G. Firm Qualifications and Experience

The proposal shall state the size of the firm, the size of the firm's governmental audit staff,

the location of the office from which the work on this engagement is to be performed and the

number and nature of the professional staff to be employed in this engagement.

The firm is also required to submit a copy of the report on its most recent external quality

control review, with a statement whether that quality control review included a review of

specific government engagements. The firm shall also provide information on the results of

any federal or state desk reviews or field reviews of its audits during the past three (3) years.

In addition, the firm shall provide information on the circumstances and status of any

disciplinary action taken or pending against the firm during the past three (3) years with state

regulatory bodies or professional organizations.

The proposal should identify and describe any pending or previous litigation the firm was

involved in over the past three (3) years which dealt with the quality of audit work or of

pricing of auditing services rendered.

H. Engagement Team Qualifications and Experience

The firm should identify the principal supervisory and management staff, including

engagement partners, managers, other supervisors and specialists, who would be assigned to

the engagement and indicate whether each such person is licensed to practice as a certified

public accountant in Illinois. The firm should also provide information on each person’s

government auditing experience, relevant continuing professional education completed

during the past three (3) years and membership in professional organizations pertinent to this

audit. The firm should also indicate how the quality of staff over the term of the agreement

will be assured.

Engagement partners, managers, other supervisory staff and specialists may be changed if

those personnel leave the firm, are promoted or are assigned to another office. Any proposed

replacement personnel must possess qualifications and experience comparable to those of the

individuals being replaced. The City retains the right to approve or reject all proposed

replacements.

I. Similar Engagements with Other Government Entities

Describe the experience of the firm in conducting municipal audits. The proposal shall

provide references for at least three current clients with engagements similar in scope to the

City. References should include the client’s name, contact person, title, telephone number, e-

mail and a brief description of the services provided. Please denote those audits which have

received GFOA’s Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting while

your firm was engaged as their auditors. A reference listing is provided as attachment #1.

J. Specific Audit Approach

The proposal should set forth a work plan, including an explanation of the audit methodology

to be followed to perform the services required of this request for proposal. Proposers will be

required to provide the following information on their audit approach:

1. Proposed segmentation of the engagement.

2. Level of staff, including the number of individuals to be assigned and an estimate of

hours required to complete each proposed segment of the engagement.

3. The extent to which statistical sampling is to be used in the engagement.

4. Extent of use of software in the engagement.

5. Type and extent of analytical procedures to be used in the engagement.

6. Approach to be taken to gain and document an understanding of the City's internal

control structure.

7. Approach to be taken in determining laws and regulations that will be subject to audit

test work.

8. Approach to be taken in drawing audit samples for purposes of tests of compliance.

K. Fee Proposal

The fee proposal shall contain all pricing information relative to performing the audit

engagement as described in this request for proposals on an annual “not to exceed” basis for

the years ending December 31, 2025 through December 31, 2029. The total all-inclusive

maximum price proposed is to contain all direct and indirect costs, including all out-of-

pocket expenses.

The budget for the proposed work should include estimated hours by level of personnel and

by major project timelines (preliminary, field work, etc.), support personnel costs, and report

production fees, if applicable. A fee proposal sheet to be completed is included as attachment

#2 in this request for proposals.

This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.