Judges: Robert A. Butterworth Attorney General
Filed Date: 9/30/2002
Status: Precedential
Modified Date: 7/5/2016
The Honorable Mary M. Johnson Santa Rosa County Clerk of Courts Post Office Box 472 Milton, Florida 32572-0472
Dear Ms. Johnson:
You ask substantially the following question:
May a certified public accountant who is an employee of the clerk of court perform the financial audit of the Santa Rosa County Civil Service Board required by section
In sum:
A certified public accountant employed by the clerk of court does not possess the statutorily required independence to perform a financial audit of the Santa Rosa County Civil Service Board pursuant to section
In Chapter
You state that the board is subject to an independent audit on an annual basis pursuant to section
Section
"If, by the first day in any fiscal year, a local governmental entity, district school board, charter school, or charter technical career center has not been notified that a financial audit for that fiscal year will be performed by the Auditor General, each of the following entities shall have an annual financial audit of its accounts and records completed within 12 months after the end of its fiscal year by an independent certified public accountant retained by it and paid from its public funds: (a) Each county. (b) Any municipality with revenues or the total of expenditures and expenses in excess of $250,000. (c) Any special district with revenues or the total of expenditures and expenses in excess of $100,000. (e.s.)
* * * "
The plain language of the statute requires the financial audit of a local governmental entity, such as the Santa Rosa County Civil Service Board, to be performed by an independent certified public accountant, retained by the entity and paid from its funds. The term "independent" means "not subject to control by others; not subordinate."3
Where the Legislature has prescribed the manner in which a thing is to be done, it acts as a prohibition against its being done in another way.4 Thus, where the Legislature has required that a financial audit be performed by an independent certified public accountant, an employee of the county, and more specifically an employee of your office who performs internal audits in your office and of the board of county commissioners, would not appear to possess the necessary independence to perform a financial audit of a county agency.
The Supreme Court of Florida has stated that an independent auditor "who is hired to give an opinion on a client's financial statements must do so with an independent impartiality which contemplates reliance upon the audit by interests other than the entity upon which the audit is performed."5 The court went on to note:
By certifying the public reports that collectively depict a corporation's financial status, the independent auditor assumes a public responsibility transcending any employment relationship with the client. The independent public accountant performing this special function owes ultimate allegiance to the corporation's creditors and stockholders, as well as to investing public. This "public watchdog" function demands that the accountant maintain total independence from the client at all times and requires complete fidelity to the public trust."6 Accordingly, it is my opinion that a certified public accountant employed by the clerk of court does not qualify as an independent certified public accountant for purposes of conducting a financial audit of the Santa Rosa County Civil Service Board pursuant to section
Sincerely,
Robert A. Butterworth Attorney General
RAB/tls