Finding 1153522 (2024-001)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
B
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2024
Accepted
2025-09-19
Audit: 366799
Auditor: Purvis Gray

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: Duplicate reimbursement claims of $440,570 for concrete poles due to inadequate controls.
  • Impacted Requirements: Compliance with Part 2 CFR Section 200.303, which mandates accurate reporting of eligible costs.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Management should streamline control procedures to use a single method for identifying eligible costs and ensure proper reconciliation of all invoices.

Finding Text

2024-001 Inadequate Controls over Grant Reimbursement Requests Condition—Costs for certain concrete poles used in the pole replacement program were submitted for reimbursement on multiple invoices, resulting in duplicate reimbursement claims of $440,570. Criteria—In submitting the accounting records to the grantor, the City is required to certify that reported costs were incurred in performance of eligible work. Internal controls that ensure reported costs are eligible and accurate should adhere to Part 2 CFR Section 200.303 of the Uniform Guidance. Cause—The deficiency appears to result from the use of two different methods to identify eligible costs (costs from invoices received directly from a vendor and costs applied to project work orders) without an appropriate reconciliation between the two methods. Effect—The lack of reconciliation of eligible costs allowed the duplicated costs claims to go undetected. Recommendation—We recommend that management review control procedures to ensure expenses included in grant reports are identified by the use of a single methodology and reconciled to accounting records. When multiple methodologies are utilized, a reconciliation to all other invoices should also be performed.

Corrective Action Plan

Management agrees with the finding and changed the request with FDEM to correct. Management was also guided by the auditor with FDEM to submit the material invoices to assist with some payment while waiting on project approval. This led to the two methodologies. When submitting projects, we always include the work orders that include force account labor, materials, contract labor and overheads. This situation has been resolved and Management intends to only use one methodology in the future.

Categories

Cash Management Internal Control / Segregation of Duties

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
97.036 Disaster Grants - Public Assistance (presidentially Declared Disasters) $3.41M