Finding 1160191 (2024-017)

The Town of Jonesboro acknowledges this audit finding and concurs with the conclusion that a duplicate payment occurred in connection with the use of $53,786 in funds from the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) program. The duplicate payment resulted from the same expenditure being reimbursed by a second federal program that was not designated as a major program. While this incident was unintentional and due to a lack of centralized grant tracking at the time, the Town has taken corrective action to prevent such issues from occurring in the future. Specifically: 1. Implementation of a Grant Award Management System: The Town is currently deploying a formal grant tracking and reconciliation system that will provide centralized oversight of all grant awards, expenditures, and reimbursements. This system is designed to prevent overlapping or duplicative claims across funding sources and will be supported by enhanced documentation and review protocols. 2. Internal Controls and Policy Enhancements: In response to this finding, the Town has updated its grant management policies and internal accounting procedures to include specific verification steps prior to submitting reimbursement requests. These policies now require: o Cross-checking all grant reimbursements against prior or pending claims, o Documenting funding source allocation for each expenditure, o Requiring dual review by finance and grants administration staff. 3. Staff Training and Grant Oversight: Personnel involved in grant administration and finance have received and will continue to receive training on federal allowable cost principles under 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart E. The Town is committed to maintaining compliance with all federal funding requirements and is actively working to reinforce accountability and transparency in its use of public funds. The Town will coordinate with the appropriate federal and state authorities to resolve any remaining discrepancies and, if necessary, return funds that have been deemed ineligible or duplicated.