Audit 301160

FY End
2022-06-30
Total Expended
$7.20M
Findings
4
Programs
2
Organization: Unitrans (CA)
Year: 2022 Accepted: 2024-03-29

Organization Exclusion Status:

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Findings

ID Ref Severity Repeat Requirement
390301 2022-002 Significant Deficiency Yes L
390302 2022-001 Material Weakness Yes L
966743 2022-002 Significant Deficiency Yes L
966744 2022-001 Material Weakness Yes L

Programs

ALN Program Spent Major Findings
20.507 Federal Transit_formula Grants $2.83M Yes 0
20.526 Buses and Bus Facilities Formula, Competitive, and Low Or No Emissions Programs $497,461 Yes 0

Contacts

Name Title Type
TX2DAGQPENZ5 Jeff Flynn Auditee
5307545814 Ingrid Sheipline Auditor
No contacts on file

Notes to SEFA

Title: BASIS OF PRESENTATION Accounting Policies: Expenses reported on the Schedule are reported on the accrual basis of accounting. Such expenses are recognized following the cost principles contained in the Uniform Guidance, wherein certain types of expenses are not allowable or are limited as to reimbursement. De Minimis Rate Used: N Rate Explanation: Unitrans did not elect to use the 10 percent de minimis indirect cost rate as covered in 2 CFR §200.414. The accompanying schedule of expenditures of federal awards (the Schedule) includes the federal grant activity of Unitrans under programs of the federal government for the year ended June 30, 2022. The information in this schedule is presented in accordance with the requirements of the Title 2 U.S. Code of Federal Regulations Part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance). Because the Schedule presents only a selected portion of Unitrans’ operations, it is not intended to be and does not present the financial position, changes in net position, or cash flows of Unitrans.
Title: PROGRAM/MATCHING CONTRIBUTIONS Accounting Policies: Expenses reported on the Schedule are reported on the accrual basis of accounting. Such expenses are recognized following the cost principles contained in the Uniform Guidance, wherein certain types of expenses are not allowable or are limited as to reimbursement. De Minimis Rate Used: N Rate Explanation: Unitrans did not elect to use the 10 percent de minimis indirect cost rate as covered in 2 CFR §200.414. The amounts shown as current year expenses represent only the federal grant portion of the program costs. Entire program costs, including Unitrans’ portion, may be more than shown.
Title: SUBRECIPIENTS Accounting Policies: Expenses reported on the Schedule are reported on the accrual basis of accounting. Such expenses are recognized following the cost principles contained in the Uniform Guidance, wherein certain types of expenses are not allowable or are limited as to reimbursement. De Minimis Rate Used: N Rate Explanation: Unitrans did not elect to use the 10 percent de minimis indirect cost rate as covered in 2 CFR §200.414. There were no subrecipients of Unitrans’ programs during the year ended June 30, 2022.

Finding Details

Finding 2022-002: Significant Deficiency – Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA). Assistance Listing: 20.507 and 20.526, Federal Transit Cluster Federal Grantor: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Formula Grants Passed-through: The City of Davis Pass-through Grantor’s No.: CA-2019-107 Compliance Requirement: Reporting Condition: Expenditures reported on the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA) were revised during the single audit. Criteria: Internal controls should be in place that provide reasonable assurance that the SEFA is complete and accurate. Cause: The SEFA was not finalized until after the single audit began. This is an ongoing issue from prior years as we noted changes to amounts previously reported on SEFAs as well. Most of the revisions in the current year were due to Finding 2022-001, as there were additional eligible expenses found during the audit due to lack of internal control over closing procedures. Effect: The expenses included on the SEFA were revised during the single audit, which could have resulted in the auditor not selecting the correct expenses for testing and could have resulted in the single audit not satisfying the requirements of the Uniform Guidance. Amounts reported to the Federal Clearinghouse each year may not be accurate. Context: $237,177 of expenses were added to the SEFA after the single audit began. Recommendation: We recommend additional review procedures be implemented to ensure the expenditures reported on the SEFA are complete and accurate when the single audit begins. View of Responsible Official and Planned Corrective Action: See the Corrective Action Plan attached.
Finding 2022-001: Material Weakness – Internal Control Over Financial Reporting Condition: A number of adjustments were required to report Unitrans’ financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). The books were not in balance at the start of the audit, and fieldwork was delayed as a result. Criteria: Internal controls over financial reporting should be in place that provide reasonable assurance that the financial statements are complete and accurate. Cause: Unitrans’ accounting is performed by the Associated Students of the University of California at Davis (ASUCD), which coordinates with the University of California at Davis (UCD) for a number of transactions. Unitrans’ has not been assigned a full chart of accounts by ASUCD to report its financial activity consistently with Unitrans’ audited financial statements. This results in numerous reclassifying entries being needed to facilitate financial reporting. In addition, UCD performs purchasing and grant accounting functions for Unitrans along with the accounting for UCD and ASUCD, which results in Unitrans’ transactions being obscured by the volume of transactions processed by ASUCD and UCD. Effect: The trial balance was not in balance at the start of the audit. This was due to the import of balances from ASUCD reports not being done correctly. As a result, the trial balance had to be redone and re-imported, causing the audit to be delayed. Context: Numerous accounts are either missing from Unitrans’ chart of accounts or were not fully updated, including due from other governments, restricted cash and investments, capital assets, accumulated depreciation, due to ASUCD, unearned revenue, restrictions of net position, investment in capital assets and a number of revenue and expense accounts (capital contributions, depreciation, student fees, etc.). The 2018 “Yellow Book” (Government Auditing Standards) was effective during the year ended June 30, 2020, which has increased scrutiny over auditor independence. Assistance with adjusting entries during the audit is considered a nonaudit service that must be evaluated to determine whether the services provided may impair independence. The level of assistance provided to properly record and classify transactions makes us uncomfortable when considering the independence requirements of the 2018 Yellow Book. Recommendation: For the year ended June 30, 2021 and 2022, Unitrans put together its own trial balance in accordance with GAAP but some assistance was still required during the audit to ensure completeness of financial reporting. We had recommended in prior audits that Unitrans’ management work with ASUCD and UCD finance staff to develop and update a more thorough self-balancing chart of accounts with names that are consistent with the audited financial statements that captures all of Unitrans’ financial activity. We noted some progress made in this area as separate Unitrans funds have been created by ASUCD for recording student fee revenue. However, there is still work needed to ensure all accounts balance. Prior to the audit, reconciliations should be done to ensure all activity have been properly recorded and included in the trial balance. We also recommend Unitrans’ management work with ASUCD and UCD finance staff to develop a process to ensure all of Unitrans’ operating and capital transactions are identified, recorded and correctly classified as required by generally accepted accounting principles prior to the start of the audit. View of Responsible Official and Planned Corrective Action: See Corrective Action Plan attached.
Finding 2022-002: Significant Deficiency – Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA). Assistance Listing: 20.507 and 20.526, Federal Transit Cluster Federal Grantor: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Formula Grants Passed-through: The City of Davis Pass-through Grantor’s No.: CA-2019-107 Compliance Requirement: Reporting Condition: Expenditures reported on the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA) were revised during the single audit. Criteria: Internal controls should be in place that provide reasonable assurance that the SEFA is complete and accurate. Cause: The SEFA was not finalized until after the single audit began. This is an ongoing issue from prior years as we noted changes to amounts previously reported on SEFAs as well. Most of the revisions in the current year were due to Finding 2022-001, as there were additional eligible expenses found during the audit due to lack of internal control over closing procedures. Effect: The expenses included on the SEFA were revised during the single audit, which could have resulted in the auditor not selecting the correct expenses for testing and could have resulted in the single audit not satisfying the requirements of the Uniform Guidance. Amounts reported to the Federal Clearinghouse each year may not be accurate. Context: $237,177 of expenses were added to the SEFA after the single audit began. Recommendation: We recommend additional review procedures be implemented to ensure the expenditures reported on the SEFA are complete and accurate when the single audit begins. View of Responsible Official and Planned Corrective Action: See the Corrective Action Plan attached.
Finding 2022-001: Material Weakness – Internal Control Over Financial Reporting Condition: A number of adjustments were required to report Unitrans’ financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). The books were not in balance at the start of the audit, and fieldwork was delayed as a result. Criteria: Internal controls over financial reporting should be in place that provide reasonable assurance that the financial statements are complete and accurate. Cause: Unitrans’ accounting is performed by the Associated Students of the University of California at Davis (ASUCD), which coordinates with the University of California at Davis (UCD) for a number of transactions. Unitrans’ has not been assigned a full chart of accounts by ASUCD to report its financial activity consistently with Unitrans’ audited financial statements. This results in numerous reclassifying entries being needed to facilitate financial reporting. In addition, UCD performs purchasing and grant accounting functions for Unitrans along with the accounting for UCD and ASUCD, which results in Unitrans’ transactions being obscured by the volume of transactions processed by ASUCD and UCD. Effect: The trial balance was not in balance at the start of the audit. This was due to the import of balances from ASUCD reports not being done correctly. As a result, the trial balance had to be redone and re-imported, causing the audit to be delayed. Context: Numerous accounts are either missing from Unitrans’ chart of accounts or were not fully updated, including due from other governments, restricted cash and investments, capital assets, accumulated depreciation, due to ASUCD, unearned revenue, restrictions of net position, investment in capital assets and a number of revenue and expense accounts (capital contributions, depreciation, student fees, etc.). The 2018 “Yellow Book” (Government Auditing Standards) was effective during the year ended June 30, 2020, which has increased scrutiny over auditor independence. Assistance with adjusting entries during the audit is considered a nonaudit service that must be evaluated to determine whether the services provided may impair independence. The level of assistance provided to properly record and classify transactions makes us uncomfortable when considering the independence requirements of the 2018 Yellow Book. Recommendation: For the year ended June 30, 2021 and 2022, Unitrans put together its own trial balance in accordance with GAAP but some assistance was still required during the audit to ensure completeness of financial reporting. We had recommended in prior audits that Unitrans’ management work with ASUCD and UCD finance staff to develop and update a more thorough self-balancing chart of accounts with names that are consistent with the audited financial statements that captures all of Unitrans’ financial activity. We noted some progress made in this area as separate Unitrans funds have been created by ASUCD for recording student fee revenue. However, there is still work needed to ensure all accounts balance. Prior to the audit, reconciliations should be done to ensure all activity have been properly recorded and included in the trial balance. We also recommend Unitrans’ management work with ASUCD and UCD finance staff to develop a process to ensure all of Unitrans’ operating and capital transactions are identified, recorded and correctly classified as required by generally accepted accounting principles prior to the start of the audit. View of Responsible Official and Planned Corrective Action: See Corrective Action Plan attached.