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Fiscal Year 1996 FLORID EIN C� IAL SIAIEMEHTS KPIEMBER-30-019920 EW & GREEN, P a A CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACC UNT ' T Rim Independent Auditors' Report 1 Financial Statements: 1 ance Streets 2 Statements of Revenues, Expenditures and Changes in. Fund al anc Statements of Rew,enue ® F p nditares, and Changes i Fund Balance - Budget and Actual 4m 1 Notes to Financial Statements 11-19 Other Reports® Report. on the Internal Control Structure -2 Report on Compliance i Laws and Regulations Po .I & GREEN, P.A. Certified Public Accountants 1438 KENNEDY DRIVE P. o, BOX 1529 KEY WEST, FLORIDA 33041.1529 MEMBER OF AMERICAN INSTITUTE . KEMP, Ca .A. ( 5) 294-2581 AND FLORIDA INSTITUTE of MA VA E. GREEN, C.P.A. FAX (305) 294.4778 CERTIFIED PUBLIC ,,. 'OUNTANTS 1WHINMEAUDITURSLARMI Clerk E x Dfficio Board County ,Commissioners Monroe County, Florida We have audited time financial statements of the Monroe County, Florida Tourist Development Trust Funds (tl"TDTF") as of September 30, 1996 and , for the year then ended i,st d in the tablecontents. These filnanici l statements are the responsibility of the County'County's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on .our audit. We conducted our audit in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards and issued by e Comptroller General eft United States. These standards require than we plan and per-form the audit o obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting s .a significant estimates made by management s well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audit provides reasonable basis, for, ouropinion. s discussed in Note 1, the financial statements present only the Monroe County Tourist Development Trust Funds and afire of intended o present fairly the financial position of Monroe County, Floridaresults of its operatics in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles. In our opinionj the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects financial position of the Monroe County, Florida Tourist Development Trust Funds as of September 30, 1996, and the results of its operations for the year then ended in conformity with generally accepted accounting princi In accordance, with vernment Auditing Stand have also issued a report dated February 7, 1997 on our consideration of the , TDTF's internal control structure and a report dated February 7, 1997 on its compliance with laws and regulations. � Kemp & Green, P.A.. -Certified Public Accountants February 7, 1997 � m W t � 0 J OD OD m & ON uo-w w ,. cmcq w ' 9 n w- r ° 6PI r cn LLO w4 gw 4 I. 1i 4 Q" Y u m vv It cc CD In Ch 1 4 , a r, a - eq " N CW . 4- 41 m41 s r_I P Q$» WWWW � ��pi I $� W& 4RF C ftlY PIS ¢7¢�Sw .eoYpb �y m^... i I :'. cc ta u rQ C4 en may' IM Mwoo 0 r a� Ch W. mLn— " 2; CM, cl 6 IN ko r, WA Iro- Ck a�a yes M 41 u� w M� 4= 2 kn Lt cu 44 u LM 41 0® .. Vb 21 41 '. �a"n .A^^•. cm �� „ .. .. m4 m oj ?w 9PU Cep m� cc ca Ld LA U. I , DEffI ENT f. I . . ' � NI—SPECIAL-REVENUEIAD SIAIEMENIJOE-REUAKS,. MMIIURESLW Variance Favorable Revenues- Taxes 1®609„272 1,916,349 07.077 Charges for Services 20D698 20,698 Investment Income � _.:_:��.. � ... . Total Revenues . UM,ZZ2, ...... Expenditures: Current: Economic Environment Administration 990.603 826.690 163,913 Cultural Umbrella 347.000 279,037 67,963 Fishing Umbrella 446,000 410.827 35,173 Diving Umbrella 0 _......... Total Expenditures Excess of Revenues Over/(Under) Expenditures (274,331) 398,125 672,456 Other Financing Sources/(Uses)- Reserve for Contingencies Excess of Revenues and Other SourcesOver/(Under) Expenditures and Other Uses (437,081) 8®125 835.206 Fund Balance, 1995 Fund lance" 19961.676.630 35.206 e accompany ing notes are an integral) part of these financial statements. w,4w FOR TW j� R: F W , , ER Variance Favorable Revenues; Taxes $ 3,334,728 S 3®971,052 $ 636.324 Charges far Services 42,890 42,890 Investment Income 89,039 89.039 Miscellaneous Revenue N ... Total Revenues ......., Expenditures: Current: Economic Environment: Advertising a 'P Promotion 3, 3® 3,455,891 2,147 Administrative Services _ ..., Total Expenditures ,. Excess of Revenues Over/(Under) Expenditures (568,469) 394.747 963,216 Other Financing 5oUrc s/(Uses) Reserve for Contingencies - . ° ) . „--.,,. u....n. n_ Excess of Revenues and Other Sources Over/(U ee), Expenditures and Other Uses (905�719) 394.747 1.300.466 Fund Balance, 19 1, Find Balance., 1996 L—MIM L-zj2LML—LJIAW The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements. �W MONROE-CQUNLt.1LQR1M IQURL5IJYSELQPMEMLIRU5LEM TAREE-CENL—DI51RILI-M E � Eli ' �L,ANE � UDE�' AND r4 EURJAE—YEALEM—SEPIEMBER-2Q.1ft Variance , Favorable A ordthe) Revenne,s Taxes $ 1,359,600 $ 1,611,444 $ 251.844 Charges for Services - 16,115 16,11 Investment Income Total Revenues ��. � --Lffi..289 ... Expenditures: Current: Economic Envirorunent- TDC Administrative 38,630 26,582 12,08 Tourist.Information Services 219,000 209,303 9,697 Bricks and Mortar 228,811 193,597 5m21 Special Events 251,366 160,749 9 „617 Promotion and Advertising 601® 20 574,937 26.283 Reaches Total Expenditures __.L-UL.0 .._..... Excess of Revenues Over/(Under) Expenditures (162,341) 5013,192 665,533 Other Financing Sour es/(Uses)a Reserve for Contingencies 'Excess of Revenues and Other Sources Over/((Jnder) Expenditures and Other Uses (298.301) 503,192 601,493 Fund Balance, 1995 . Fund Balance„ 1996 The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements® 'EME L ff 'NE. a ffSU IUR ANC Variance Favorable Revenues Taxes $ 148„320 $ 159,926 $ 1,1.606 Charges for Services - �. I#749 Investment Income Total Revenues ..... Expenditures: Current t Economic Environment: TDC Administrative 4,310 4,310 Tourist Information Services 520305 51,296 1,009 Bricks and Mortar 23.683 0„ 2,834 Special Events 1,1770 1,000 77 Promotion and Advertising Total Expenditures W --AL30 . Excess of Revenues O rAUnderl Expenditure's 6.850 60,571 53321 Other Financing Sources/(Uses): Reserve for Contingencies Excess of Revenues and Other Sources Over/(Under) Expenditures and Other Uses (7,983) 60,571 68.554 Fund Balance, 19 ,. Fund Balance. 1996 1 :179 68.554 The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements. 7 M®NRCIE OU.N _ FLORID TQU05 D V PMEN TRUST FUNDS THREE_ CENT._ pISRICTJI,REE Variance Favra4le ... �. r�favo Ia ) Revenues:, 'Taxes 271.920 352,727 80�807 Charges for Services 4,852 4, 452 Investment Income ...� ,, Total Revenues Expenditures. Current: Economic Environment.- TDC Administrative 7,726 5,244 2,482 Tourist Informration Services 80,600 78.148 2,452 Bricks and Mortar 35,483 30,050 5.433 Special Events 1,678 1,678 Promotion and Advertising Total Expenditures :-10 ,, Excess of Revenues fiver/(Under) Expenditures 14n388 , 127.'611 113.423 Other Financing, Sources/(Uses): Reserve for Contingencies __42LW ..: . .,;., Excess of Revenues and Other Sources Over/( Under) Expenditures and Other Uses (12,804) 127,811 140,61 Fund Balance. 19 .. Fund Balance, 1996x 140^ 15 The accompanying notes are an` tnte ral part of these financial statements. m - N N , L E - ACTS& Variance Favorable Revenues» Taxes $ 296.646. $ 354,410 S 57.770 Charges for Services 4.184 41,104 Investment Income � „ _ _ -11.225 Total Revenues � 2 Expenditures: Current; Economic nvi.ronmentw TDC Administrative, 8.428 5.734 2,694 Tourist Information ,Services 80.000 60.175 11®025 Bricks and Mortar 19,638 1O,270 1.368 Special Events 29®8 A 2,333 27.532 Promotion and Advertising ......... fh J.L C total Expenditures Excess of Revenues OverAUnder) Expenditures 15,�:696 136,536 120,840 Other Financing Sources/(Uses): ' Reserve for Contingencies Excess of Revenues and Other Surces' er/(Under) Expenditures and Other Uses (13,968) 136,536 150,504 Fund Balance. 1995 ........—__,- 452 9 Fend Balance, 1996 19 _404 The accompanying notes are an integral art of these financial statements. MT , 0MA TOURIST_DEK OR TATEM T QE RL:YENU QIT AMA F A . T M Et) �A MOE -- -BUD2J-MQ—ACIUAL Variance Favorable Revenues: Taxes $ 395,520 $ 465,194 $ 69,674 Charges for Services v 95 4,895 U Investment Income Total Revenues ° Expenditures: Current- Economic Environment: TDC Administrative 11.237 7.652 1a505 Tourist Information services 87,649 BM93 5„55 Bricks and Mortar 38,281 22,225 16,056 Special Events 8a717 8,717 Promotion and Advertising Total Expenditures Excess of Revenues Over/(Under) Expenditures 20.929 143,700 122.771 Other Financing Sourcest(Uses)® _ Reserve for Contingencies Excess of Revenues and Other Sources Over/(Under) Expenditures and Other Uses (18,624) 143,700 162.324 Fund Balance. 1995 Fund Balanced 1996 aO29 1 324„ The accompanying notes are an integral � part of these financial statements, -10- MO OE COUl�T ' ROTESJOL-EINANU&,,,STATEME S NOTE 1 - SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUM1'"IMC POLICIES ftporUjig-JaUly - The Monroe County, Florida Tourist Development Trust Funds (TOTF) are special revenue funds of Monroe County., Florida, administered by e Monroe County Tourist Development Council. The TOTF °ds considered a part of the primary ' government of Monroe County as the funds' management i accountable to the Board of County Commissioners and it is neither legally, separate ,or fiscally independent of the County® The sole purpose of the TOTF is to promote .tourism in Monroe County. The TOTF receives its principal funding from e local option tourist development tam Aasjs__oj_AccQuntjW - The accounting and financial reporting treatment applied to a fund " is determined by its measurement focus, The TOTF Special Revenue Funds are accounted for using current financial resources measurement focus. With this measurement focus only current assets and current liabilities generally are included on the balance sheet. Operating statements of these funds present increases (i .e. , revenues and other financing sources) and decreases (I .e., expenditures and other financing uses) in net current assets„ asis of accounting refers to when revenues and expenditures or expenses are recognized in the accounts and reported in the financial statements. Basis of accounting relates to the timing of the measurements made regardless of the measurement focus applied. The modified accrual basis of accounting is followed in the TOTF Special Revenue Funds Under the modifiedaccrual basis of acobntin B revenues are recognized in the accounting oeriod in whichthey become susceptible t accrual , that is when they become both measurable and available to finance expenditures of the current period® Available means collectible within the current period or soon enough thereafter to be used to pay liabilities of the current period. Primary revenues which include taxes charges for services, and interest are treated as susceptible t accrual under the modified accrual basis. Receivables related to these revenues are not recognized unless they ,are collectible within days after the fiscal year end. Expenditures and transfers out are recorded when the related fund liability is incurred. Exceptions i general rule include: (1) accumulated sic ay® vacation pay. and compensatory time, which areof recorded as expenditures® ( ) prepaid �1 O fin.., "` Y& LF6M NOTUJklINANUALMERENIS . —19 , NOTE 1 - 'SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Continued) i tems., whichare reported only on the BalanceSheet and Ao not affect expenditures n (3) principal and interest on long-term debt which are recognized when duew Budgets for the TDTF Special Revenue Funds are also prepared on the modified accrual basis® Charges for services, and i llaneous revenues (except investment. arnings) recorded revenues n received in cash, because they are generally not measurable until actually received. Investment earnings are recorded earned since they are measurable available. k ut .i l - Accounts receivable r recorded at their collectible amount. The following r statutory procedures followed by the Board of County Commissioners in establishing the budget for TDTF. (1) Within fifteen .days after certification of the ad valorem tax roll by the Property Appraiser, the County Budget Officer submits to t e Monroe Cojunty Board of Commissioners a proposed budget for the fiscal year commencing the following October 1.. e budget includes proposed expenditures and the means of financing them. ( ) By Board resolution, tentative bu,dget is submitted to t e u lik . Public hearings are held to obtain taxpayer comments, (3) Fifteen days after adopi.ion o the tentative budget, a final budget is su mitted for reviewan adoption final public hearing. ( ) Prior to, or on September 30, the TDTF"s budgets are legally enacted through passage of a resolution.. (5) During the year, the Office of Management and Budget acts on intradepartmental budget changes that do , not alter the -total revenue or . Ih .. ��T � ANENT TUT FU KnELn_E1NAWJAL5IAIKKS NOTE'l SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Continued) expenditures budgets to a cost center. All other budget changes (whether they are transfers between departments or alterations of total revenues or expenditures in a fund) are approved by the Boa�rd, of County Commissioners. Supplemental appropriations, r necessary and the budgetary data presented herein was amended by the Board of County Commissioners during h ar in a legally permisibll manner. (6) Florida Statute 129, Sect-ion 7, as amended in 197 , provides that only expenditures in excess of totalfend budgets are unlawful . However. because the Boardacts n all budget changes between cost centers, this becomes the level of control . (7) Budgeted to Actual Expenditure reports are employed as a management control device during the year. ( ) Budgets r all funds are adopted on a basis consistent with generally accepted accounting principles ( ) , (9) All appropriations lapse at year is Investments are stated at ,cost, which approximates market. The Monroe County Board of County Commissioners.-pools cash and investments of the County, excluding those requiring benefiting separate investment. This gives the County the ability to. maximize its yield on theshort-term investment of cash, increasing its income accordin ;, Interest earned on pooled investments is allocated to 'the participating funds based on their average daily balance.' In ividual fund deficits are ignored in the allocation of interests r°a r Encumbrance accounting, under which purchase orders are recorded to reserve that portion of the applicable appropriation, is employed in the Tourist Development Trust Funds. Encumbrances are not the equivalent IUR,I T DEVELOPMENT RUST EUN NQ 1 S MEN7 S PT-'M R_M. G NOTE 1 SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Continued) of expenditures; therefore® the encumbrances are reported as reservations o fund balances at ,year end. County policy grants employees annual leave and sick leave in varying amQunts. Upon termination of employment, employees with six months or more of credited servicecan receive payment for accumulated annual' leave. In general ® sick leave payments are granted upon , termination o employment to employees with five, years of more of credited service. The maximum payment is subject to percentage and maximum hour limitations. Accumulated annual leave, sick leave.® and related benefits are accrued in the TDTF to extent that such amounts would normally liquidated i expendable available financial resources, The remaining liability is reflected in the County's Genera Long-Term Debt Account Group. T t of umns o, t Total columns on the statements are captioned "Memorandum Only" to indicate that they are presented only to facilitate financial analysis. Data in these ., col umns do not present financial position or results of operation in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles, such data 'is- of comparable to consolidation. Interfund eliminations have not been made in the aggregation o this data. NOTE 2 ,- CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS AND INVESTMENTS Cash and Investments consist of the following: Demand Deposits ,Local Government Surplus Funds Trust Fund Investments m14 Y '. RIDA TOURIST D T T ANDS T S_IQ_E .H IAL .T TE NS NOTE 2 - CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS AND INVESTMENTS (Continued) l o6da Statute 125.31 authorizes the County to invest surplus funds in following: ) the State 4of FloridaLocal Government Surplus Finds Trust Fund l under the management of the State Board of Administration } the FloridaCounties 'Investment Trust Fund under the sponsorship oft e Florida Association Counties and the FloridaAssociation of Court Clerks Comptrollers negotiable irect obligations of, or obligations of which the principal and interest are unconditionally guaranteed by, the U.S. Government } fnterest bearing i depos:its or savings accounts in banks and savings and loans organized under state laws or doing business and situated in the state, provided collateral requirements are met. e) obligations of the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation obligationsof the Federal National, Mortgage Association commercial paper of U.S,,, corporations having a rating,of at least two of e following three ratings: , - ., p-1, and F-1® rated y Standard oors,, Moody®s a Fi nvestors Service rating services ) Bankers' acceptances that are eligiblefor pure asd by the Federal Reserve Banks and have a letter of credit rating of AA or better il Tax-exempt obligations of the State of Florida and its various local governments, including Monroe County. Tax exempt obligations with rating of A or less, must be an Ensured issue -through MBIA or an equivalent company. Issues1rated r higher may or may not carry an insurance backing. -1 SEFTN�E NOTE 2 CASH.- CASH EQUIVALENTS AND INVESTMENTS (Continued) - Demand, and time deposits are fully insured by Federal Depository Insurance and the multiplefinancial institution collateral pool reuiired Y Sections Florida Statutes. Investments - Investments at year end areshown as.follows. T U.S. Treasury obligations and other hands are held by the County®s agent in t. he County°s name.. Carrying Market Local Government Surplus Funds Trust Fund n4Sg IS NOTE S - LEASE OBLIGATIONS Rental expense under cancelable operating leases for the current year amounted to $3,400. T -,� RETIREMENT N Substantially all full -time. . County employees are parti ipants in the Florida. Retirement System® (the "System")., a multiple-employer, cost-sharing 1,1c retirement system. The System, is is controlled y the State 'Legislature and administered by the State of Florida,, Department of Administration, Division of Retirement® covers approximately 587,000 full-ti loyee o various,,governmental units within the State of Florida. The System provides for vesting of benefits' after 10 years of creditable service. Normal retirement benefits are available to employees who r6ttre at r after age, 62 withr more years o - service. , Early retirement is -16- U ULD ROTE 4 - RETIREMENT PLAN (Continued) available after 10 ears of service wti th reducti on of benefi is for each year prior to the normal retirement age. Retirement benefits are based upon age, average compensation years-of-service credit where average compensation is computed as the average of an individual'individual 's five highest years of earnings. The County has no responsibility o the System other than to make the periodic payments required y state statutes, Ten-year historical trend information showing e System®s progress in accumulating sufficient assets to pay benefits when due is presented in the System's June 30, 1995 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report., e amount reported below as "pension benefit obligation" is a standardized disclosure measure of the present value of pension benefits, adjusts for ,the effects of projected salary increases estimated to be payable in the future as a result of employee service to datum The measure is the actuarial present value of credited projected benefits and is intended to assist users in assessing the plan's funding status on` a going-concern basis, assess progress made in accumulating sufficient assets to pay benefits when due, and make comparisons among government pension plans layers. The System does not conduct separate measurements of assets and pension benefit obligations for individual employers. The pension benefits obligation at June 30, 1996 for the System whole.' determined through an estimated actuarial valuation performed as of that date was $51.4 billion. The System®s net assets available for benefits on that date (valued at amortized cost) were i lion® resulting in an unfunded pension benefit obligation of $7.0 billion. Participating employer contributions are based upon state-wide rates established by the State of Florida. These rates are applied , o employee salaries s follows: regular employees, 1 . special risk employees, 6.5 , and elected officials, 27.54% There are no employee contributions to the plan. The TDTFI's contributions of approximately $12,000 made during the year ended September 30, 196 were madein accordance with contribution requirements determined y the actuarial valuation of the System as of June 30, 1995. These contributions represented approximately 0.01004% of total' . 17- ,CEP"�E�1RER �m 1, NOTE - RETIREMENT PLAN (Continued) contributions required of all participating employers during the fiscal year of the System ended June 30, 1996. Total payroll for TDTE employees during the fiscal- year ended September 30, 199 s approximately $72,300, with the portion attributed to employees covered by the Systembeing $71,200.. The contribution, to the System for the year appro imately 16.8% of total' covered payroll . There were no changes in actuarial assumptions,, benefit provisions, actuarial funding methods or any other significant factors that affected the County's contribution duringthe fiscal year ended September 30, 1 W NOTE 5 . DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN The County offers its employees deferred compensation plan created i accordance it ° 'Internal Revenue Code Section 457. The plan, available to all employees, permits there to defer a portion of their salary until future years. The deferred compen'sation is not, available o employees until termination, retirement® death, or unforeseeable emergency... All amounts, of compensation deferred ender the plan, all property and H ghts purchased with those amounts, and all income attributable o those amounts, property, or.. rihts are (until e r made av it e' to the employee or other beneficiary) solely the property and rights of the County (without , being restricted the provisions of benefits under the plan) . subject only o the claims of the County°sr general creditors. Participants, ights under the plan are equal to those of general creditors of the County in an amount equal to the fair market val'ue of the deferred account for each participant.. The County has no liability for losses under the plandoes have the duty . of due care that would required an ordinary, prudent investor. The County, believes that it is unlikely that it will use the assets to satisfy the claim's of general creditors in the future. J-0—EINAKIALSIAIEMPIS 5EPITEMBER-M-19-9-6 NOTE 5a DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN (Continued) In August,, 1996, Internal Revenue Service code Section 457 was amended to require that amounts deferred under a deferred compensation plan maintained by state or local government mustbe held in trust for the exclusivebenefit of plan participants their beneficiaries. Amounts deferred under existing plans need not comply with the new trust requirements until January 1, 1999. NOTE 6 RISK MANAGEMENT TDTF is exposed to various risks of loss related to tort® theft of, damage to and destruction of assets; errors and omissions; injuries toemployees; natural disasters. During the fiscal years ended 1976, 1984 and 1988, the County established the Worker's Compensation. Group Insurance, and Risk Management Funds, respectively, as internal service funds, to account for and finance its uninsured risks of loss., Under these programs the Worker's Compensation provides $450,000 coverage per claim for regular employees and $500,000 coverage per claim police firemen. The Group Insurance Fund provides coverage up to $75,000 for each medical claim. i sk Management provides $100,000 for each general liability clai and' for most property damage claims Windstorm,, and Property Damage insurance excess coverage varies by individual property. The County purchases commercial insurance for claims in excess of coverage provided by the funds and for all. other risks of loss. Settled claims not exceeded this commercial coverage in any of the past three years. TDTF participates in the programs and make payments to 'the Worker's Compensation, Group Insurance and Risk 'Management Funds based on estimates of the amounts needed to pay prior and current year clai GREENP.A. Certified Public Ac c'ouutants 11438 KENNEDY DRIVE m 0. BOX 1529 KEY WEST, FLORIDA 33041-1529 MEMBER OF AMERICAN INSTITUTE WM1. o. KEMP, C.P.A. (305) 294-2581 AND FLORIDA 04STITUTE OF MARVA E. GREEN, C.P.A. FAX # (305) 294-4778 CCRTIFiED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS Clerk 'Exicio Board of County Commissioners Monroe County, Florida We have audited the financial statements of the Monroe County, Florida Tourist Development Trust Funds (the "'TDTF") for the year evaded September 30, 1996, and have issued our report thereon dated February 7, 1997. e ,conducted our, audit in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards and issued by the Comptroller General of the United States.. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. The management of the TDTF is responsible for establishing and maintaining an internal control structure. In fulfilling thisresponsibility, estimates and judgments by management °are required o assess the expected benefits and elated costs of internal control structure policies and prgcedures�, The objectives of an internal control structure are to provide management with reasonable but notsolute, assurance that assets are safeguarded against loss from unauthorized or disposition, and that transaction are executed i accordance i management's authorization an recorded properly to permit e preparation 'of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Because of inherent limitations in any internal control structure, errors or irregularities may nevertheless occur and not be detected. Also, projection of any evaluationof the structure to future periods "is subject tote risk that procedures may become inadequate because of changes in.co d,itions or that ,e effectiveness of the design and operation f policies and-procedures may deteriorate. In planning and performing our audit of the financial statements,,of the TDTF for the year ended September 30� 1996, we obtained an understanding of the internal control structure, With respect to the internal control structure, we obt ,i ne up'derstandi n o the sin of relevant policies an procedures n whether they v been placed in operation, and we assessed control risk in order to determine our auditing procedures for the purpose of e. pressin -20- our opinion ® the financial statements and not to provide assurance on the internal control structure. Accordingly, we do not express such an opinion, Our 'consideration of the i'nternal control structure would not necessarily disclose all , matters in the internal control structure that might be reportable conditions, and accordingly, would not necessarily disclose all reportable conditions that are also considered to be material weaknesses. A. material weaknessAs a reportable condition in which the design or,operation of one or more of the specific internal control structure elements does not reduce to a relatively low level the risk that errors or irregularities in amounts that would be material in relation to the financial statements being audited may occur and not be detected within a timely period by employees in the normal coursw performing their assigned functions. We noted no matters involving the internal control structure and its operation that we consider to be material weaknesses as defined above.. We also noted other matters involving the "internal control structure and its oper'at16n that we. have reported to the management of the County in a separate letter dated Febrp6ry 7, 1997'. This report is in-tended for the information of the Board of County Commissioners, management, and others within the County, and officials of applicable federal and state agencies. However,, this report is a matter, of public record, and its distribution is not limited. Kemp & Green, P.A. Certified Public Accountants February 7, 1997 -21- KE GIBP.A. Certified Public Accountants 1438 KENNEDY DRIVE Pm 0. BOX 1529 KEG WEST, FLORID 33041-1529 MEMBER OF AMERICAN INSTITUTE . oa KEMP, C.P>Aa ( 5) 294-2581 AND FLORIDA INSTITUTE Of MARVA E. GREEN, C.P.A. FAX (305) 294-4778, CERTIFIED PUBLIC AOCOUNTANTS T AUDITD ." JAI WT H . WS �FGU, , Clerk x Officio Board of County Commissioners Monroe County, Florida We have audited the financial statements of the Monroe County, Florida Tourist, Development Tryst Funds (the' "TDTF") as of and for the year ended September 30, 1996, and have issued our report thereon dated February 7, 1997. e conducted ' our audit in accordance with generally accepted au iti standards and t Auditino St d issued by the Comptroller General of the United States. Those standards require that we plan and perform audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial, statements are free of material misstatement. Compliance with laws® regulations, contracts, and grants applicable to the TDTF is the responsibility of the TDTF's management. As part of obtaining reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free o material isstatement, we performed tests of the TDTF' compliancewith certain, provisions of laws, regulations, contracts, and grants. However, the objective of our audit of the financialstatements was not to provide opinion on overall compliance with such provisions. Accordingly, we do not express such an opinion. The results 'of our testy disclosed instances of noncompliance that are required o be reported herein under i s This report is intended for the information of the Board of County Commissioners, management and others within theCounty, and officials of applicable federal and state agencies, However, this report is a Matter o obis record and its distribution is not limited. Kemp & Green, P.A. Certified Public Accountants February 7, 1997 72