Crime & Safety

Fire District Financials in Good Order, Audit Said

The Mehlville Fire Protection District heard an audit of its 2010 finances.

The Mehlville Fire Protection District received the best opinion rating possible on its 2010 Audited Financial Statements.

In its June 27 meeting, the board heard a presentation of the audit from Hochschild, Bloom and Company LLP, an independent public accounting firm.

“The district is in very sound financial, economic condition and continues to increase the activity of services it provides to the citizens of the district,” said Robert Offerman, a CPA with the firm.

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The net assets of the district increased by 7.5 percent or $2,279,682, while expenses were down by 1.25 percent or $230,000. The district’s ending fund balance also increased by $698,643 from 2009 to 2010, Offerman said.  

The assets show a steady increase over the years, despite the district having the lowest tax rate in St. Louis County for the last five years, the report states.

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“The increase really started after 2006 when you had $27 million (in net assets) and in 2006 through 2010, the net assets of the district have continued to increase every year,” Offerman said. “And that’s because as you build new houses and put new equipment into service, those get depreciated over a period of time.”

The district’s assets show an increase of more than $12.1 million from 2003-2010, with a $5.1 million increase from 2006-2010.

Chief Financial Officer Brian Bond said the report was in line with the district’s goals in financial reform.

“It was exactly what we expected to hear,” Bond said. “We achieved the highest opinion from the firm.”

The district received an unqualified opinion from the firm, which means the financial statements are fairly presented with accepted accounting principles.

Firms can rate entities with an unqualified, qualified, adverse or going concern opinion with the best being an unqualified opinion and going concern saying that the entity is in danger of being unable to continue operating.

Service calls in the district have also increased. Since 2001, the district’s total response calls, both fire and EMS, have increased by 3,216 calls or 34 percent. The district received 12,616 calls in 2010 with 9,674 being EMS emergency response calls and 2,942 non-emergency responses.

Also in 2010, the district increased from 131 to 138 employees, including 11 fire/medics, allowing for a sixth ambulance to run, the most in the county. 


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