Summary of Report 99-037

May 1999

Report Number 99-037

Our audit for fiscal year 1998 found that the pension funds are financially sound¹ and that the Office of the Fire Fighters' Pension Commissioner (Commission) continues to improve agency operations. We also noted that the Commission still needs to implement some of our prior recommendations in order to further improve operations.

The Commission manages programs in accordance with the Texas Statewide Emergency Services Retirement Act (TSESRA) and the Texas Local Fire Fighters Retirement Act (TLFFRA).

• The Commission provides pension benefits to approximately 7,400 volunteer emergency services personnel. Assets held in trust totaled $25.5 million, and the pension payments amounted to $1.6 million.
• The Commission also monitors the pension plans for 136 TLFFRA departments throughout the State for nearly 9,800 members.

We gained an understanding of the overall control environment and controls to the extent necessary to plan the audit. We tested controls and material accounts as deemed necessary to support our opinion.

¹The State Auditor's Office issued an unqualified opinion on the annual financial report of the Fire Fighters' Pension Commissioner (Commission) as of and for the year ended August 31, 1998. The financial statements are contained in the Annual Fire Fighter's Pension Report, expected to be published in June of 1999.

An unqualified opinion indicates that the financial statements fairly and accurately represent the Commission's financial position and results of operations as of a given date.

We provided the Commission with the Report on Compliance and on Internal Control over Financial Reporting Based on an Audit of Financial Statements Performed in Accordance with Government Auditing Standards.

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