Condition and Context: Pinal County’s single audit reporting package for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023, was not submitted to the Federal Audit Clearinghouse by the required deadline of March 31, 2024.
Recommendation: The auditors recommended that Pinal County devote the necessary resources t...
Condition and Context: Pinal County’s single audit reporting package for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023, was not submitted to the Federal Audit Clearinghouse by the required deadline of March 31, 2024.
Recommendation: The auditors recommended that Pinal County devote the necessary resources to the accounting function to meet its reporting obligations. Doing so will improve the timeliness of Pinal County’s submittal to the Federal Audit Clearinghouse.
Contact Name: Randee Stinson, Deputy Director Budget and Finance
Corrective Action Planned: Historically, the Office of Budget and Finance was trying to complete all reconciliations and corrections centrally. County departments were not expected to, and did not have the training and resources needed to complete their accounting work correctly or reconciliation timely. In the last two years, the focus has been on educating, training, and providing tools for departments to accurately record and reconcile the general ledger for grants. This has had the effect of more accurate reporting, even though it has taken longer to complete financial statements.
Some of the tools and resources that have been implemented include:
1. Utilizing outside accounting services to enhance the accounting and reporting team.
2. Adding additional accountants to the accounting and reporting team.
3. Creating a grants policy that requires monthly reconciliation for all grants.
4. Creating a position of grants manager to monitor and standardize grant compliance.
5. Monthly meetings with departments specifically discussing grant compliance and reconciliation.
6. Departmental education and training. This includes adding additional resources to educate newly hired staff members that have limited experience with governmental accounting.
7. Creation of a year-end closing check list.
8. Creation of a timeline to identify when closing tasks need to be completed in order to report timely.
9. Communication between the central accounting team and department leadership occurs to educate, inform and follow-up on closing tasks with the purpose of holding those responsible for the completion of tasks accountable.
10. Job duties and classifications for central accounting positions were reviewed and updated to ensure the proper level of expertise is assigned to the work.
11. Constant communication with management to ensure improvement and support is optimal.
The Office of Budget and Finance has implemented the above and will need to continue to collaborate with county departments until we can achieve timely reconciliations and year end closeout.
Anticipated Completion Date: June 30, 2026