Finding 1163016 (2024-003)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
N
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2024
Accepted
2025-11-25
Audit: 372605
Organization: City of Hamilton, Texas (TX)

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: The City failed to verify that contractors included required prevailing wage rates in construction contracts, leading to compliance deficiencies.
  • Impacted Requirements: Weekly certified payroll submissions and compliance statements were not verified, risking future grant expenditures.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Establish processes to ensure all contract requirements are met and designate staff to review certified payrolls regularly.

Finding Text

Compliance and significant deficiency in compliance and internal controls over compliance. Major Program: Federally Assisted Airport Development Grant - 20.106. Criteria: All laborers and mechanics employed by contractors or subcontractors to work on construction contracts in excess of $2,000 financed by federal assistance funds must be paid wages not less than those established for the locality for the project (prevailing wage rates) by the Department of Labor and this requirement must be included in the related contracts. Condition: The requirement that contractors and subcontractors that work on construction contracts submit weekly certified payrolls to the non-federal entity (grantee) and a statement of compliance to ensure that the prevailing wage rates are paid could not be verified. Cause: The City did not have processes or procedures in place to verify that the prevailing wage rate clause was included in construction contracts or to verify based on review of certified payroll reports from the contractor. Because of this, the required language was not included in the contracts, and the wage rates could not be verified. Effect: Department of Transportation could disallow expenditures of future grants. Repeat Finding: No. Recommendation: The City should design process and procedures to verify that all required elements are included in relevant contracts. In addition, a City staff member or designated representative should ensure that the necessary certified payrolls are received and appropriately reviewed. Management's Response: The City will implement policies and procedures to verify that all required elements are included in relevant contracts. The City staff will ensure that all necessary certified payrolls are received and reviewed.

Corrective Action Plan

The City will implement policies and procedures to verify that all required elements are included in relevant contracts. The City staff will ensure that all necessary certified payrolls are received and reviewed.

Categories

Significant Deficiency Matching / Level of Effort / Earmarking Internal Control / Segregation of Duties

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 1163017 2024-002
    Material Weakness Repeat

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
20.106 AIRPORT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT AND JOBS ACT PROGRAMS, AND COVID-19 AIRPORTS PROGRAMS $1.09M
21.027 CORONAVIRUS STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL RECOVERY FUNDS $528,163
20.205 HIGHWAY PLANNING AND CONSTRUCTION $35,849
81.041 STATE ENERGY PROGRAM $9,839