Audit 377455

FY End
2024-06-30
Total Expended
$7.86M
Findings
9
Programs
7
Organization: Municipality of Santa Isabel (PR)
Year: 2024 Accepted: 2025-12-23

Organization Exclusion Status:

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Findings

ID Ref Severity Repeat Requirement
1166436 2024-010 Material Weakness Yes P
1166437 2024-010 Material Weakness Yes P
1166438 2024-010 Material Weakness Yes P
1166439 2024-010 Material Weakness Yes P
1166440 2024-008 Material Weakness Yes L
1166441 2024-010 Material Weakness Yes P
1166442 2024-010 Material Weakness Yes P
1166443 2024-009 Material Weakness Yes L
1166444 2024-010 Material Weakness Yes P

Contacts

Name Title Type
WDQQLU5TSNA3 Irma M. Vargas Aguirre Auditee
7878454040 Angel Alfredo Lopez Vega Auditor
No contacts on file

Notes to SEFA

The accompanying Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (Schedule) includes the Federal grant activity of the Municipality of Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico (Municipality) under programs of the federal government for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024. The information in the Schedule is presented in accordance with the requirements of Title 2 U.S. Code of Federal Regulations Part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance). Therefore, some amounts presented in this Schedule may differ from amounts presented in or used in the preparation of the basic financial statements. The reporting entity is defined in Note 1 (B) to the basic financial statements.
1. The Schedule is prepared from Municipality’s accounting records and presents only a selected portion of the operations of the Municipality, it is not intended to, and does not present, the financial position or changes in net position of the Municipality. 2. The Municipality in accordance with the terms and conditions of the grants, records the financial transactions which are consistent with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. 3. Expenditures are recognized in the accounting period in which the liability is incurred, if measurable or when actually paid,whichever occurs first. 4. Expenditures reported on the Schedule are reported on the modified accrual basis of accounting, except for the programs Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers (HCV) and Disaster Grants- Public Assistance. Expenditures for HCV Program are equal to the ACC subsidy for the PHA fiscal period. Expenditures for Disaster Grants- Public Assistance are recognized in the period when; (a) FEMA has approved the PW and (b) eligible expenditures are incurred. 5. State or local government redistributions of federal awards to the Municipality, known as “pass-through awards”, should be treated by the Municipality as though they were received directly from the Federal government. The Uniform Guidance requires the Schedule to include the name of the pass-through entity and the identifying number assigned by the pass-through entity for the Federal awards received as a sub-recipient. Numbers identified as N/AV are not available.
The Assistance Listing Number (ALN), formerly known as the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number, is a five_x0002_digit number assigned in the awarding document for all federal assistance award mechanisms, including federal grants and cooperative agreements. Assistance listings are detailed public descriptions of federal programs that provide grants, loans, scholarships, insurance, and other types of assistance awards. The Sam.gov assistance listing is the publicly available online database showing all available Federally-funded programs.
The Municipality has elected not to use the 10-percent de minimis cost rate allowed under the Uniform Guidance.
Major programs are identified in the Summary of Auditors’ Results Section of the Schedule of Findings and Questioned Costs.
The reconciliation between the expenditures in the fund financial statements and the expenditures in the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards is as follows:
On March 11, 2021, was signed into law the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021, the latest COVID-19 stimulus package. Within ARPA, the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund provides $350 billion for states, municipalities, counties, tribes, and territories, including $130.2 billion for local governments split evenly between municipalities and counties. Accordingly, the Municipality received a grant under Counties and Non-Entitlements categories to respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency and its economic impacts. The Municipality will incur ARPA grant expenditures in the following fiscal years.
The Single Audit reporting package, as defined and required in 2 CFR 200 for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, could not be submitted in a timely manner. From 2017 to the present, Puerto Rico has suffered four consecutive emergencies caused by nature and health situations: Hurricane Maria, Earthquakes, COVID-19, and Hurricane Fiona. The Municipality of Santa Isabel has carried out emergency work and taken into consideration the waivers issued by the OMB, resulting in delays of the administrative work for the following years.

Finding Details

Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Treasury Pass-Through Agency: Puerto Rico Fiscal Agency and Financial Advisory Authority Program: Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (ALN 21.027) Compliance Requirement: Reporting – Special Reporting (L) Type of Finding: Significant Deficiency in Internal Control (SD), Instance of Noncompliance (NC) This finding is similar to prior year finding 2023-008. Condition During the fiscal year, the Municipality administered funds from the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, this allocation was granted directly from the Federal government and through Puerto Rico Fiscal Agency and Financial Advisory Authority, respectively. In our Reporting Test, we evaluated three (3) monthly reports submitted to the Puerto Rico Fiscal Agency and Financial Advisory Authority. We found that the Municipality submitted all reports late. Also, we evaluated the Annual Project and Expenditure Report submitted to the U.S. Department of Treasury. We determined that the report was submitted on time. Criteria The Municipal Strengthening Fund Transfer Agreement, Clause 5.1, states that the Transferee shall submit reports as the Transferor determines are needed to verify use of the funds and compliance with conditions that are imposed on the Transfer, and such reports shall be in such form, with such content, as specified by the Transferor in the Transfer Plan and future program instructions directed to all Recipients. The Transfer Plan, on Exhibit A, establishes that starting on the 15th day of the month following receipt of the funds, and by the 15th day of each month, the Transferee will submit a Use of Funds Report for the prior month’s expenses. Also, on the Municipal Strengthening Fund Program Guidelines, the Puerto Rico Fiscal Agency and Financial Advisory Authority specified on the Reporting Requirements Section that the recipients are required to submit monthly financial reports using the reporting template provided by the program. Cause of Condition The Municipality does not have adequate monitoring for the activity and the reports. Effect of Condition The program is not in compliance with the Reporting Requirements as established in the contract agreement and guidelines. Recommendation The Municipality should establish a monitoring system to ensure compliance with requirements established by the pass-through agency such as submitting the reports during the 15th day of each month. Questioned Costs None Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Action The necessary instructions were given to the accounting staff in order to comply with the reporting requirements established by each federal grant that the Municipality currently manages. Responsible Official: Mrs. Irma M. Vargas Aguirre, Finance and Budget Director Implementation Date: December 31, 2025
Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Homeland Security Pass-Through Agency: Central Office of Recovery, Reconstruction and Resiliency of Puerto Rico (COR3) Program: Disaster Grants – Public Assistance (Presidentially-Declared Disaster) (ALN 97.036) Compliance Requirement: Reporting (L) Type of Finding: Significant Deficiency in Internal Control (SD), Instance of Noncompliance (NC) This finding is similar to prior year finding 2023-009. Statement of Condition In our Reporting Test, we evaluated the Quarterly Progress Reports of a total of nine (9) projects for two quarters of fiscal year 2023-2024. During our audit procedures, we noted that the reports did not agree with the accounting and project records. Criteria 2 CFR 200.302 (a) states that the states’ and other non-Federal entities’ financial management systems, including records documenting compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award, must be sufficient to permit the preparation of reports required by general and program-specific terms and conditions; and the tracing of funds to a level of expenditures adequate to establish that such funds have been used according to the Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. Also, 2 CFR 200.302 (b) (2) states that the financial management system of each non-Federal entity must provide accurate, current, and complete disclosure of the financial results of each Federal award or program in accordance with the reporting requirements set forth in §§ 200.328 and 200.329. Cause of Condition The Municipality’s accounting controls and procedures fail to ensure accurate, current and complete disclosure of the financial results of federal assisted activities. Effect of Condition The expenses reported in the Quarterly Progress Reports do not agree with the accounting records. Recommendation We recommend the Program Administrators reconcile the differences between the quarterly report and the accounting records before the submission to the pass-through entity. Questioned Costs None Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Action We will give instructions to the accounting staff in charge of the preparation of the quarterly progress reports of the Program, in order to comply with the FEMA reporting requirements. Responsible Official: Mrs. Irma M. Vargas Aguirre, Finance and Budget Director Implementation Date: December 31, 2025
Requirement: Single Audit Act Type of Finding: Significant Deficiency in Internal Control (SD), Instance of Noncompliance (NC) This finding is similar to prior year finding(s) 2023-010, 2022-008 and 2021-009. Statement of Condition The Municipality did not submit, in a timely manner, to the Federal Audit Clearinghouse, the Single Audit Reporting package for the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2024. The due date for this report was no later than March 31, 2025. Criteria Uniform Guidance, Section 500.512, states that the audit must be completed, and the data collection form and reporting package must be submitted within of earlier of 30 calendar days after receipt of the auditors’ report, or nine (9) months after the end of the audit period. Cause of Condition Due to the delay in the preparation of the financial statements, the Municipality did not comply with the requirements established in the Uniform Guidance. Effect of Condition The Municipality could be sanctioned by the Federal government for the noncompliance of this requirement. Recommendation We recommend management to continue strengthening the internal controls over the accounting records to complete in a timely manner the process of preparation of the financial statements of the Municipality. Questioned Costs None Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Action We are giving instructions to the Finance Department, the Federal Program Office, and all other departments to submit, in a timely manner, all the required financial information, to our financial consultant and the external auditors, to comply with the deadline for the submission of the Single Audit Report for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025, which is March 31, 2026. Responsible Official: Mrs. Irma M. Vargas Aguirre, Finance and Budget Director Implementation Date: March 31, 2026