Section 181-B. Independent audit of fire districts

1. The commissioner of
  each fire district with revenues of two hundred thousand dollars or more
  shall obtain an annual audit of its records by an independent  certified
  public  accountant  or  an  independent public accountant. The report of
  such annual audit shall be presented to the fire district board of  fire
  commissioners  by  such  accountant.  Such  fire  district  audit  shall
  include, but not be limited to, the district's financial conditions  and
  resources  and such other things as the state comptroller may designate.
  A copy of the audit report in form prescribed by the  state  comptroller
  and   certified   by   the   accountant,   shall  be  furnished  to  the
  commissioners, the town boards served by  the  district  and  the  state
  comptroller  within  one  hundred  eighty  days following the end of the
  fiscal year audited.
    2. The commissioner of each fire district with revenues of  less  than
  two  hundred  thousand  dollars  shall  report  the district's financial
  conditions and resources and such other things as the state  comptroller
  may  designate on a form prescribed by him or her. A copy of such report
  shall be issued to the state comptroller within one hundred eighty  days
  following  the  end  of  the  fiscal  year.  The  state  comptroller may
  designate an amount below which no report shall be required.
    3. On or after January first, two thousand seven, all  fire  districts
  subject  to  the  provisions  of  subdivision  one of this section shall
  utilize a competitive request for proposal process when contracting  for
  such  annual audit. In addition, no audit engagement shall be for a term
  longer than five consecutive years; provided, however, that  nothing  in
  this  subdivision  shall  preclude  a  district, in its discretion, from
  permitting an independent certified public accountant or an  independent
  public  accountant  engaged under an existing contract for such services
  to (i) submit a proposal for such services in response to a request  for
  competitive  proposals,  or  (ii)  be awarded a contract to provide such
  services under a request for proposal process.
    4. Notwithstanding the provisions of subparagraph one of paragraph (b)
  of subdivision four of section thirty-five of the general municipal law,
  each fire district  shall  (i)  prepare  a  corrective  action  plan  in
  response  to  any findings contained in the annual external audit report
  or management letter, or any final audit  report  issued  by  the  state
  comptroller, within ninety days of receipt of such report or letter, and
  (ii)  to the extent practicable, begin implementation of such corrective
  action plan no later than the end of the next fiscal year.