I. Purpose and Background
The City of Charles Town, West Virginia, is requesting proposals from qualified Certified Public Accountant (CPA) firms or financial consulting professionals to provide comprehensive professional accounting and financial reporting services. The selected firm will act as an expert resource for the City's Finance Department and Management team, ensuring rigorous compliance with local, state, and federal reporting requirements.
II. Scope of Work
The selected consultant or firm will be expected to perform and supervise a wide variety of municipal accounting and financial services. The detailed scope includes, but is not limited to, the following activities:
A. General Accounting & Closing Procedures
• Financial Analysis: Perform and supervise diverse accounting and financial analyses, including comprehensive trial balance reviews.
• Account Reconciliation: Provide support for financial statement preparation and budget development through the systematic reconciliation of balance sheet accounts, AP clearing accounts, accounts payable, and general ledger accounts.
• Record Examination: Systematically examine financial records to ensure absolute numerical accuracy and internal integrity.
• Monthly/Annual Closings: Coordinate and manage the City's monthly and annual financial closing processes.
• Ledger Coordination: Coordinate monthly general ledger activities, directly managing all deferral and accrual adjustments.
• Fixed Assets & Capital Projects: Prepare entries to maintain the City's fixed asset ledger, capital project summaries, and related analysis reports.
B. Financial Reporting & Compliance
• Regulatory Compliance: Perform procedures involving required supplementary information mandated by relevant regulatory bodies, including:
o Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) Statements
o Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services (SSARSs)
o Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (GAAS)
o American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) guidelines
o Government Auditing Standards (GAS / Yellow Book)
o Government Accountability Office (GAO) requirements
o U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Uniform Guidance (formerly Circular A-133) Compliance Supplement rules.
• Statement Preparation: Prepare designated portions of the City's annual financial statements, along with accompanying note disclosures. Financial Statement preparation shall include coordinating with all component units of government, including but not limited to, the Charles Town Utility Board.
• Standards Implementation: Interpret and implement new accounting standards and evolving regulatory mandates. Commmunicate impacts clearly to Management and City Council.
C. Management Support & Special Projects
• Advisory Services: Provide general financial technical assistance throughout the fiscal year, addressing questions on accounting, reporting, and internal controls.
• City Manager Assignments: Execute special projects assigned by the City Manager, such as staffing analyses and project-based financial planning.
• Fee & Charge Reviews: Provide financial analytical support for System Development Charge (SDC) requirements and Master Fee Schedule updates.
• Audit Preparation: Coordinate independent audit readiness work, resolve complex accounting principles, and support external City Auditors during active audit windows.
D. Meeting & Communication Requirements
• Maintain effective verbal and written communication skills to deliver advice and recommendations to City leadership.
• Attend monthly progress report meetings with City financial management staff and key firm personnel.
• Attend City Council meetings on an as-needed basis to present findings or regulatory updates.
III. Proposal Submission Requirements
To be considered, firms must submit a structured proposal containing the following sections:
1. Title Page & Executive Summary: Brief introduction of the firm, location of the office handling the account, and contact information.
2. Firm Qualifications & Experience: Evidence of specific experience in municipal or governmental accounting within West Virginia, highlighting familiarity with GASB standards.
3. Staffing & Team Bios: Resumes and licensing status (e.g., CPA) of the specific personnel who will be assigned to Charles Town.
4. Work Plan & Methodology: Detailed approach to managing monthly closings, audit prep, and special projects.
5. Cost Proposal: Itemized fee schedule broken down by hourly rates per staff level or an all-inclusive monthly retainer option.
6. References: Contact information for at least three (3) current municipal or public- sector clients.
7. Engagement Letter: Provide a sample executable engagement letter.
8. Proposal Submission Deadline: Proposals must be received in the City offices located at 101 E. Washington Street, Charles Town, WV 25414, or via email to lnice@charlestownwv.us by November 30, 2026 at 5:00 p.m.
IV. Evaluation Criteria
Proposals will be reviewed and scored by City management based on the following framework:
• 30% - Technical experience of the firm in municipal finance and GASB compliance.
• 30% - Qualifications, licensing, and expertise of the specific staff assigned to the City.
• 20% - Clear understanding of the scope, demonstrated via the proposed work plan.
• 20% - Cost competitiveness and structural transparency of the fee proposal.
V. Reservations
• The City of Charles Town ("City") reserves the right to accept or reject any or all Proposals because of this RFP, to negotiate with all qualified sources, or to cancel, in part or in its entirety, this RFP if found in the best interest of the City.
• All Proposals become the property of the City.
• The City reserves the right to waive any informalities and technicalities and to accept the Proposal considered most advantageous in to obtain the best value for the City.
• Causes for rejection of a Proposal may include but shall not be limited to the Offeror's current violation of any City ordinance, the Offeror's current inability to satisfactorily perform the work or service, or the Offeror's previous failure to properly and timely perform its obligations under a contract with the City.
• Offerors may be disqualified, and rejection of Proposal may be recommended for any (but not limited to) of the following causes: 1) Failure to use the outlined response format, 2) Lack of signature by an authorized representative on the Certification Form. 3) Failure to properly complete the Proposal, or 4) Evidence of collusion among Offerors.
• Negotiations: During the evaluation process, the City reserves the right, where it may serve the City's best interest, to request additional information or clarifications from Offeror(s). At the discretion of the City, all firm(s) subject to being selected based on criteria set forth in this RFP may be requested to make oral presentations. Each Proposal must designate the person(s) who will be responsible for answering technical and contractual questions. Preliminary negotiations may be conducted with responsible Offeror(s) who submit proposals that are reasonably susceptible of being selected.
VI. Disclosures
• At the public opening, there will be no disclosure of contents to competing Offerors, and all Proposals will be kept confidential during the negotiation process. The City will certify complete Proposals and make available a listing of same by the end of business on [insert date].
• Except for trade secrets and confidential information which the Offeror identifies as proprietary, all Proposals will be open for public inspection and subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
• If proposal results in a contract(s), the following terms and conditions will apply: Offerors should be aware that the RFP and the contents of the successful proposal will become a part of any subsequent contractual document that may arise from this RFP. In case of discrepancy between the RFP and the Offeror's proposal, the RFP will rule.
• The City will not accept any contract terms that require pre-payment for services, supplies, or equipment. No oral statement of any person shall modify or otherwise change, or affect the terms, conditions, or specifications stated in the resulting contract. All Change Orders to a contract awarded under this RFP will be made in writing by the City.
