March 2, 2023 Shenandoah Area Agency on Aging respectfully submits the following corrective action plan for the year ended September 30, 2022. Name and address of independent public accounting firm: Brown, Edwards & Company, L.L.P. 1909 Financial Drive Harrisonburg, Virginia 22801 Audit period: S...
March 2, 2023 Shenandoah Area Agency on Aging respectfully submits the following corrective action plan for the year ended September 30, 2022. Name and address of independent public accounting firm: Brown, Edwards & Company, L.L.P. 1909 Financial Drive Harrisonburg, Virginia 22801 Audit period: September 30, 2022 The findings from the September 30, 2022 Schedule of Findings and Questioned Costs (the "Schedule") are discussed below. The findings are numbered consistently with the number assigned in the Schedule. FINDINGS - FINANCIAL STATEMENT AUDIT 2022-004: Authorized Signer for Bank Accounts Condition: Four bank confirmations signed by the executive director were sent to financial institutions holding SAAA assets as part of our audit were denied due to being signed by an unauthorized individual. Criteria: As part of management's responsibility to safeguard assets, the authorized signer for bank accounts should be documented. Cause: Management was unaware the listing of authorized check signers had not been updated by the bank as requested. Effect: It is critical for an entity to be able to access its cash deposits held by financial institutions. When a listing of authorized signers is not updated, the entity opens itself to opportunities for loss. Terminated employees may still have access to organizational assets or the organization may be prohibited from accessing their accounts at financial institutions if there is no perceived authority to access the funds. FINDINGS-FINANCIAL STATEMENT AUDIT (Continued) 2022-004: Authorized Signer for Bank Accounts (Continued) Recommendation: Management or governance should determine who has access to bank accounts and ensure only the appropriate parties maintain ongoing access for the safekeeping of the organization's assets. Planned Corrective Action: This finding was caused by the bank not updating its signature cards as requested by the Agency. This finding was immediately corrected once identified by the auditors. 2022-005: Material Audit Adjustments Condition: During the audit, we detected one material misstatement in the trial balance presented to us to begin our audit that was considered a material audit correction. Criteria: Generally accepted auditing standards dictates that detection of errors in an audit is a strong indicator of a significant deficiency or material weakness. Accordingly, we are required to communicate this finding as such. Cause: Financial information was missing or inaccurate. Effect: Assets and liabilities were overstated. Recommendation: We recommend that management implement a process to ensure accuracy of balance sheet and statement of activity accounts. Planned Corrective Action: Management agrees with the finding. During the last quarter of the fiscal year, the finance department experienced a vacancy. As a result, we were short-handed. There was one account that was not reconciled in a timely manner. After the year end, the position has since been filled. All significant balance sheets will be reconciled in a timely manner as in previous years. FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS- MAJOR FEDERAL AWARD PROGRAM AUDIT 2022-001: Cost Sharing Fees, ALN 93.045 Special Programs for the Aging - Title III, Part Cl - Nutrition services and Special Programs for the Aging-Title III, Part C2 - Nutrition services, Program income Condition: Individuals receiving Title III-C funded services for home delivered meals were charged cost sharing fees. Criteria: Agencies providing services funded under the Title III-C programs may not charge cost sharing fees for the Title 111-C services under Title III-C per 42 U.S. Code? 3030 c-2(a)(2). Cause: No controls or processes were in place to prevent cost sharing fees being charged to individuals receiving services provided under Title III-C programs. Effect: The cost sharing fees for Title III-C services are not allowed under federal guidelines and therefore these fees are considered a questioned cost. Questioned Cost Amount: $4,400 Perspective Information: Noted two fees were charged for Title 111-C services out of a sample of twenty-five cost sharing fees. Recommendation: Cost sharing fees are not allowed to be charged for Title III-C services provided to individuals. Only voluntary contributions may be made for these services. Management should implement procedures to ensure these fees do not continue to be charged. Planned Corrective Action: Management agrees with the finding. As noted in finding 2022-005, the vacant position, which has now been filled, was responsible for compliance review. Additional procedural reviews and corrected report formatting have been implemented to prohibit cost-sharing fees from being charged to the program. FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS - MAJOR FEDERAL AWARD PROGRAM AUDIT (Continued) 2022-002: Unallowable Costs, ALN 93.053 Nutrition Services Incentive Program, Allowable Costs Condition: Administrative expenditures were improperly classified as expenditures funded by the Nutrition Services Incentive Program (NSIP). Criteria: NSIP funds may only be used to purchase domestic foods as outlined under Title 7 U.S. Code of Federal Regulations Part 250.68, Nutrition Services Incentive Program. Grant funding received through NSIP may not be used to pay for administration or other services. Cause: Unallowable costs were improperly classified to the financial records supporting NSIP expenditures and allowable costs were improperly allocated to other projects. Effect: Financial records supporting costs expensed under the NSIP award do not reflect the nature of the expenditures requested for reimbursement. Expenditures were misclassified within the financial records to improper programs and thus are considered a questioned cost. Questioned Cost Amount: $98,327 Perspective Information: Noted in one out of a sample of twenty-five expenditures charged to the Aging Cluster. Two of the items in the sample were expenditures charged to NSIP. We reviewed the list of the remaining expenditures charged to NSIP and confirmed the sample was representative of the entire population. Recommendation: It is critical for the underlying financial records to support an organization's claims for costs reimbursements under federal award programs with adequate documentation. Staff must allocate costs appropriately for allowable costs under each federal program and ensure expenditures charged to the federal programs are for appropriate purposes and are properly classified in the records to avoid noncompliance with federal regulations and program requirements. Planned Corrective Action: Management partially agrees with the finding. We agree that certain amounts were misapplied to the NSIP account. However, the funds did purchase food as required by the grant. We believe this to be a reporting error and not a misuse of grant funds. With the vacant position recently filled, we have added additional review procedures to prevent any reoccurrence of misapplication. FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS- MAJOR FEDERAL AWARD PROGRAM AUDIT (Continued) 2022-003: Annual Reporting to VDARS, ALN 93.044 Special Programs for the Aging- Title III, Part B- Grants for Supporting Services and Senior Centers, ALN 93.045 Special Programs for the Aging - Title III, Part Cl - Nutrition Services, ALN 93.053 Nutrition Services Incentive Program, Reporting Condition: The 13th Aging Monthly Report required by the pass through agency, Virginia Department of Aging and Rehabilitative Services (VDARS) was not submitted timely and contained inaccurate revenue and expenditure data. Criteria: VDARS requires the annual I3th Month Aging Monthly Report to be submitted by November 15t?h The report must contain complete and accurate information as a restating of the monthly reporting for the fiscal year. Cause: The 131 Aging Monthly Report was not reconciled to underlying financial records, resulting in unexplained differences between the report and trial balance provided as part of the audit. Additionally, the report was not submitted by November 15, 2022. Effect: The submission of the 13th AMR was not performed timely and included data that did not agree to underlying financial records. This should have been caught during the course of a review process before submission. Therefore, it is considered a significant deficiency of internal controls over compliance. Recommendation: Ensure reporting is submitted timely by the deadline stated by VDARS. Implement a review process for each monthly submission, including documentation of the review. Reconcile the federal, state and local totals reported in the Aging Monthly Report to the underlying financial records as stated in the financial system to ensure accuracy before submission to VDARS. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Action: Management agrees with the finding. The AMR report was not filed in a timely manner. As noted in finding 2022-0005, the vacated position during the last quarter of the year was responsible for submittals. We note that the report has since been filed. With the position being filled, we believe the 13th AMR will be filed in a timely and accurate manner as in previous years. If the Federal Audit Clearinghouse has questions regarding this plan, please call Cindy Donaldson, Director of Finance at 540-635-7141. Sincerely yours,