Finding 1155834 (2024-001)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
L
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2024
Accepted
2025-10-07
Audit: 368223
Organization: Bay County, Florida (FL)

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: The County's quarterly reports for disaster grants were not based on approved expenses, leading to potential inaccuracies.
  • Impacted Requirements: Compliance with 2 CFR section 200.303, which mandates proper internal controls and accurate reporting for federal awards.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Implement a formal approval process for quarterly reports, ensuring they are reviewed and documented before submission.

Finding Text

Assistance Listing Number: 97.036 Program Title: Disaster Grants-Public Assistance (Presidentially Declared Disasters) Compliance Requirement: Reporting - Performance Reporting Pass-through Entity: Florida Division of Emergency Management Federal Grant/Contract Number and Grant Year: Z0884 2019 Finding Type: Material Weakness in Internal Control and Compliance Known Questioned Costs: $0 Criteria: 2 CFR section 200.303 requires that nonfederal entities receiving federal awards establish and maintain internal control over the federal awards that provides reasonable assurance that the nonfederal entity is managing the federal awards in compliance with federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal awards. Federal awards submitted to the federal awarding agency should include all the activity of the reporting period, are supported by the underlying accounting or performance records, and are fairly presented in accordance with program. Condition: Of the 40 quarterly Federal Emergency Management Agency reports included in our sample for testing, 3 of the reports prepared by the County’s consultant were not based on the approved expenses and the underlying supporting documentation. This was not a statistically valid sample. Cause: The County has not implemented procedures to formally document their review of the quarterly reporting prior to submission of those reports by their third-party consultant to the Florida Division of Emergency Management which would have been able to detect these errors. Effect: Quarterly reporting could include potential errors and cause the County to be out of compliance with the requirements of the grant. Recommendation: The County should implement formal documentation via signature of approval on the quarterly reporting prior to submission to the Florida Division of Emergency Management. Management Response: See attached Corrective Action Plan.

Corrective Action Plan

Finding Number: 2024-001 Planned Corrective Action: For future quarterly Federal Emergency Agency Reports, the County will implement a formal review and documentation process, including signature, to ensure compliance and prevent over or under-reporting of qualified expenses. Anticipated Completion Date: 10/1/2025 Responsible Contact Person: Katy Nail

Categories

Subrecipient Monitoring Material Weakness Reporting Matching / Level of Effort / Earmarking Internal Control / Segregation of Duties

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 1155832 2024-001
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1155833 2024-001
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1155835 2024-002
    Material Weakness Repeat

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
21.027 Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds $3.67M
20.507 Federal Transit Formula Grants $1.01M
20.205 Highway Planning and Construction $940,236
97.083 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (safer) $900,499
97.046 Fire Management Assistance Grant $342,461
97.039 Hazard Mitigation Grant $334,838
10.766 Community Facilities Loans and Grants $221,444
16.588 Violence Against Women Formula Grants $195,776
21.015 Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States $191,362
14.228 Community Development Block Grants/state's Program and Non-Entitlement Grants in Hawaii $141,760
87.052 Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council Oil Spill Impact Program $95,955
16.575 Crime Victim Assistance $89,607
97.042 Emergency Management Performance Grants $84,586
20.526 Buses and Bus Facilities Formula, Competitive, and Low Or No Emissions Programs $78,430
93.563 Child Support Services $77,236
20.600 State and Community Highway Safety $61,438
97.067 Homeland Security Grant Program $47,818
20.509 Formula Grants for Rural Areas and Tribal Transit Program $33,766
16.738 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program $30,958
97.036 Disaster Grants - Public Assistance (presidentially Declared Disasters) $19,434
21.032 Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Fund $11,550
20.939 Safe Streets and Roads for All $8,716
20.616 National Priority Safety Programs $5,576
16.742 Paul Coverdell Forensic Sciences Improvement Grant Program $2,787