Finding 1156558 (2024-003)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
P
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2024
Accepted
2025-09-30
Audit: 368889
Organization: Anson-Madison Sanitary District (ME)

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: The District lacks a proper internal control system to ensure the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA) complies with federal requirements.
  • Impacted Requirements: Compliance with Title 2 U.S. Code of Federal Regulations Part 200 (Uniform Guidance) is not fully met due to insufficient accounting expertise.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: The Board of Trustees should continue to oversee financial activities to address this weakness and ensure compliance.

Finding Text

Criteria: The District should have an understanding of the reporting requirements 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). Condition Found: As part of our audit of the District’s Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA), we assist management in the preparation of the SEFA in accordance with Uniform Guidance. While our assistance in the preparation of the SEFA complies with Uniform Guidance, those standards also require that we report this material weakness in control over financial reporting to those with governance responsibilities. Cause and Effect: Although management reviews and approves the SEFA, there is not a system of internal control in place at the District to assure that the SEFA complies with Uniform Guidance in all material respects. This is because there is not an experienced accountant with the skills, knowledge, and expertise needed for this function employed at the District. Recommendation: We understand management and the Board of Trustees are aware of this issue, and believe it is not economically feasible to have an employee with the necessary skills, knowledge, and expertise for this function. We recommend the Board of Trustees remain involved in the financial activities of the District to provide oversight. Identification as a Repeat Finding, if applicable: A repeat finding; See finding 2023-003. Questioned Costs: None Management response and corrective action plan: Management agrees with the findings and recommendations. The Board of Trustees will remain involved in the financial activities of the District to provide oversight.

Corrective Action Plan

The District acknowledges that the size of the accounting staff limits the District’s ability to prepare the financial statements in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and implement the proper segregation of duties among who performs the billing, receives cash receipts, posts receipts to customer accounts, and makes deposits at the bank. . While there is an outsourced bookkeeper, the Office Manager performs three of these functions in the normal course of performing her duties. Additionally,the District acknowledges that the size of the accounting staff limits the District’s ability to prepare the Schedule of Expenditures and Federal Awards 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). The Board of Trustees plans to remain involved in the financial activities of the District to provide oversight by performing a monthly review of the financial information of the District to provide mitigating controls over the lack of segregation of duties over these functions. Responsible party: Dale Clark, Superintendent, (207) 696-5211 Anticipated Completion Date: Ongoing

Categories

Reporting Internal Control / Segregation of Duties

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 1156554 2024-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1156555 2024-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1156556 2024-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1156557 2024-003
    Material Weakness Repeat

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
66.458 Clean Water State Revolving Fund $1.20M
21.027 Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds $814,113
10.760 Water and Waste Disposal Systems for Rural Communities $543,169
97.036 Disaster Grants - Public Assistance (presidentially Declared Disasters) $227,652