Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission
Financial Audit Division

The Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA) is a professional, nonpartisan office in the legislative branch of Minnesota State government. Its principal responsibility is to audit and evaluate the agencies and programs of state government (the State Auditor audits local governments). OLA's Financial Audit Division annually audits the state's financial statements and, on a rotating schedule, audits agencies in the executive and judicial branches of state government, three metropolitan agencies, and several "semi-state" organizations. The division also investigates allegations that state resources have been used inappropriately. The division has a staff of approximately fifty auditors, most of whom are CPAs. The division conducts audits in accordance with standards established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Comptroller General of the United States.

Consistent with OLA's mission, the Financial Audit Division works to:
Promote Accountability, Strengthen Legislative Oversight, and
Support Good Financial Management.
Through its Program Evaluation Division, OLA conducts several evaluations each year and one best practices review.

OLA is under the direction of the Legislative Auditor, who is appointed for a six-year term by the Legislative Audit Commission (LAC). The LAC is a bipartisan commission of Representatives and Senators. It annually selects topics for the Program Evaluation Division, but is generally not involved in scheduling financial audits.

All findings, conclusions, and recommendations in reports issued by the Office of the Legislative Auditor are solely the responsibility of the office and may not reflect the views of the LAC, its individual members, or other members of the Minnesota Legislature.

This document can be made available in alternative formats, such as large print, Braille, or audio tape, by calling 651-296-1727 (voice), or the Minnesota Relay Service at 651-297-5353 or 1-800-627-3529. All OLA reports are available at our Web Site: http://www.auditor.leg.state.mn.us

If you have comments about our work, or you want to suggest an audit, investigation, evaluation, or best practices review, please contact us at 651-296-4708 or by e-mail legislative.auditor@state.mn.us
Table of Contents
Report Summary
Auditor’s Report on Compliance and on Internal Control
Status of Prior Audit Issues

Audit Participation

The following members of the Office of the Legislative Auditor prepared this report:

Claudia Gudvangen, CPA Deputy Legislative Auditor
Brad White, CPA, CISA Audit Manager
Patrick Phillips, CPA Auditor-in-Charge
George Deden, CPA Auditor
Titima To Auditor

Exit Conference

We discussed the results of the audit with the following representatives of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission at an exit conference held on May 13, 2004:

Richard Jefferson Board Member Chair, Finance Committee
Bill Lester Executive Director
Mary Fox-Stroman Director of Finance
Linda Brennan Finance Assistant
Teri Portinen Finance Assistant

Report Summary

Key Conclusions:

We issued an unqualified opinion on the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission’s financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2003.

The report contained no findings related to internal controls or legal compliance.


Audit Scope:

Audit Period: The year ended December 31, 2003

Programs Audited:
Cash and Investments
Revenues
Expenses
Fixed Assets
Concessions


Agency Background:

The Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission operates the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome stadium. It earned $41 million in operating revenues during fiscal year 2003 and had total assets of $61 million on December 31, 2003.


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

Representative Tim Wilkin, Chair
Legislative Audit Commission

Members of the Legislative Audit Commission

Mr. Roy Terwilliger, Chair
Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission

Members of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission

Mr. William Lester, Executive Director
Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission


We have audited the financial statements of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission as of and for the year ended December 31, 2003, and have issued our report thereon dated April 19, 2004. We conducted our audit in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America and the standards applicable to financial audits contained in Government Auditing Standards, issued by the Comptroller General of the United States.

Compliance

As part of obtaining reasonable assurance about whether the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission’s financial statements are free of material misstatement, we performed tests of its compliance with certain provisions of laws, regulations, contracts, noncompliance with which could have a direct and material effect on the determination of financial statement amounts. However, providing an opinion on compliance with those provisions was not an objective of our audit and, accordingly, we do not express such an opinion. The results of our tests disclosed no instances of noncompliance that are required to be reported under Government Auditing Standards.

Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

In planning and performing our audit, we considered the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission’s internal control over financial reporting in order to determine our auditing procedures for the purpose of expressing our opinion on the financial statements and not to provide assurance on the internal control over financial reporting. Our consideration of the internal control over financial reporting would not necessarily disclose all matters in the internal control over financial reporting that might be material weaknesses.
A material weakness is a condition in which the design or operation of one or more of the internal control components does not reduce, to a relatively low level, the risk that misstatements 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 course of performing their assigned functions. We noted no matters involving the internal control over financial reporting and its operation that we consider to be material weaknesses.

This report is intended solely for the information and use of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission’s management and the Legislative Audit Commission and is not intended to be and should not be used by anyone other than these specified parties.

/s/ James R. Nobles /s/ Claudia J. Gudvangen

James R. Nobles Claudia J. Gudvangen, CPA
Legislative Auditor Deputy Legislative Auditor

April 19, 2004

Status of Prior Audit Issues
As of April 19, 2004

Most Recent Audit

The Office of the Legislative Auditor performs an annual audit of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission. Legislative Audit Report 03-26, dated May 23, 2003, covered the year ended December 31, 2002. The audit scope included those areas material to the commission’s financial statements for the year then ended. There were no findings in the report.