Page 65 - City of Bedford FY21 Budget
P. 65
b. Proof of Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) certification
c. Proof of state registration
d. Completed broker/dealer questionnaire
The Investment Committee shall review, revise, and adopt a list of authorized broker/dealers at
least annually.
2. Internal Controls. The Director of Finance is responsible for establishing and maintaining
an internal control structure designed to ensure that the assets of BEDFORD are protected from
loss, theft or misuse. The internal control structure shall be designed to provide reasonable
assurance that these objectives are met. The concept of reasonable assurance recognizes that (1)
the cost of a control should not exceed the benefits likely to be derived and (2) the valuation of
costs and benefits require estimates and judgments by management.
Accordingly, within the scope of the annual audit, the Director of Finance shall establish a
process for an independent review by an external auditor to assure compliance with policies and
procedures. The results of this compliance audit must be reported annually to the City Council.
The internal controls shall address the following points:
a. Control of collusion
b. Separation of transaction authority from accounting and record keeping
c. Custodial safekeeping
d. Avoidance of physical delivery securities
e. Clear delegation of authority to subordinate staff members
f. Written confirmation of transactions for investments and wire transfers
3. Delivery Versus Payment. All trades, where applicable, will be executed by delivery versus
payment (DVP) to ensure that securities are deposited in an eligible financial institution prior to
the release of funds. Securities will be held by a third-party safekeeping agent as evidenced by
safekeeping receipts.
V. Suitable and Authorized Investments
1. Investment Types. The following investments will be permitted by this Policy as defined by
state and local law where applicable. BEDFORD is not required to liquidate investments that
were authorized at the time of purchase.
a. U.S. government obligations, U.S. government agency obligations, and U.S.
government instrumentality obligations (including obligations of the FDIC and the
Federal Home Loan Banks), which have a liquid market with a readily determinable
market value, and exclude those prohibited by the PFIA.
b. Certificates of deposit and other evidences of deposit at a financial institution that, a)
has its main office or a branch office in Texas and is guaranteed or insured by the
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or its successor, b) is secured by obligations
in a manner and amount provided by law for deposits of BEDFORD, or c) is placed
in a manner that meets the requirements of the PFIA.
41