REPORT OF THE CHESTER COUNTY CONTROLLER, MARGARET REIF

As the Controller for the County of Chester, I am pleased to announce the completion of the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) of the County of Chester, for the fiscal year ended 2017. The Office of the Controller is responsible for preparing the County’s financial statements and related notes in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, and necessarily include amounts based on judgments and estimates by County management. The Office of the Controller maintains an internal accounting control structure and related policies and procedures designed to provide reasonable assurance that County assets and taxpayer funds are safeguarded, that transactions are executed in accordance with appropriate authorization and properly recorded, and that accounting records may be relied upon for the preparation of financial statements and other financial information. The design, monitoring, and revision of internal accounting control structures involve, among other things, management’s judgment with respect to the relative cost and expected benefits of specific control measures. The County’s financial statements have been audited by Zelenkofske Axelrod, LLC, independent auditors, who are responsible for conducting their examination in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America, including tests of accounting procedures and records. The County’s financial statements received an unmodified opinion from Zelenkofske Axelrod, LLC. The Comprehensive Annual Financial Report and our auditors’ report are available online at https://pa-chestercounty2.civicplus.com/ DocumentCenter/View/45417/2017-Comprehensive-Annual-FinancialReport. The summary of net position and summary of changes in net position for the years 2017 and 2016 can be found in the Management’s Discussion and Analysis section of the 2017 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report. I wish to express my personal appreciation and respect for the professional staff of the County Controller’s Office for their hard work and dedication in preparing the 2017 CAFR. I also wish to thank the Chester County Commissioners and their staff, as well as other leaders in our county government who cooperated in the preparation of this important document. As your elected County Controller, I understand that it is through the hard work of county residents that government has the resources to function. As such, the Controller’s Office will continue to monitor the performance of the County to ensure the highest standards of service, efficiency and accountability. Thank you, Margaret Reif Chester County Controller