Finding 1165804 (2024-003)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
L
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2024
Accepted
2025-12-19
Audit: 376639
Organization: Town of Paradise (CA)

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: The Town submitted its Audited Financial Statements and Single Audit Report nine months late due to delays in reconciling grant activity.
  • Impacted Requirements: The Town was required to submit reports by March 31, 2025, as per federal regulations (2 CFR §200.512).
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Consider hiring an external accounting firm to ensure timely submission of financial reports and improve internal processes.

Finding Text

Finding 2024-003 – Material Weakness Federal Grantor: Various Passed-through: Various Pass-through Grantor’s No.: Various Compliance Requirement: Reporting Condition: The Town submitted its Audited Financial Statements and Single Audit Report to the federal clearinghouse in December 2025, nine months after it was due, mostly the result of delays in reconciling grant activity to revenue recorded. Criteria: The Town was required to submit its Audited Financial Statements and Single Audit Report to the federal audit clearinghouse no later than March 31, 2025, nine months after the fiscal year-end (2 Code of Federal Regulations §200.512). Effect: Federal awarding agencies may deny future federal awards or subject the Town to additional cash monitoring requirements. Cause: The Town did not prepare its Audited Financial Statements and Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards in a timely manner. Context: The Town lacks a documented and reconciliation process to accurately prepare the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards in a timely manner. Recommendation: The Town should consider contracting with an external accounting firm so that it can close its books and submit its audited financial statements and single audit to the federal audit clearinghouse no later than the statutory reporting deadline. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Action: We agree with the finding and the Town is implementing a comprehensive corrective action plan focused on stabilizing Finance staffing, improving processes, and strengthening internal controls to ensure the Town can prepare accurate financial statements and the SEFA in a timely manner and meet all federal reporting deadlines going forward.

Corrective Action Plan

Finding Reference Number: 2024-003 Description of Finding: The Town submitted its Audited Financial Statements and Single Audit Report to the federal clearinghouse in November 2025, eight months after it was due, mostly the result of delays in reconciling grant activity to revenue recorded. Statement of Concurrence or Nonconcurrence: The audit was not submitted on time. Corrective Action: The delay in submitting the Town’s Audited Financial Statements and Single Audit Report was primarily caused by significant organizational transitions within the Finance Department during the audit period. Much of the team, including senior staff was newly hired, resulting in limited historical knowledge of several complex, multi-year capital projects and grant activities. At the same time, the Town was implementing a new account structure and adapting to revised financial coding practices. These overlapping system, staffing, and project-knowledge challenges created temporary gaps in continuity, processing, and reconciliation workflows, particularly in reconciling grant activity to revenue recorded, which ultimately contributed to the eight-month delay in submitting required federal reports. To prevent future delays, the Town is implementing a comprehensive corrective action plan focused on stabilizing Finance staffing, improving processes, and strengthening internal controls. Actions include establishing consistent grant billing and reconciliation cycles; developing documented procedures for grant tracking, revenue recognition, SEFA preparation, and year-end close; and enhancing financial coding accuracy under the new account structure. Ongoing staff training will build institutional knowledge, while external support may be utilized as needed for complex reconciliations and transitional needs. These measures will ensure the Town can prepare accurate financial statements and the SEFA in a timely manner and meet all federal reporting deadlines going forward. Name of Contact Person: Aimee Beleu, Finance Director, (530) 872-6291, abeleu@townofparadise.com Projected Completion Date: March 1, 2026

Categories

Reporting

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 1165802 2024-001
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1165803 2024-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1165805 2024-004
    Material Weakness Repeat

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
14.228 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANTS/STATE'S PROGRAM AND NON-ENTITLEMENT GRANTS IN HAWAII $11.81M
97.036 DISASTER GRANTS - PUBLIC ASSISTANCE (PRESIDENTIALLY DECLARED DISASTERS) $1.07M
21.027 CORONAVIRUS STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL RECOVERY FUNDS $153,658
11.307 ECONOMIC ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE $74,033
97.039 HAZARD MITIGATION GRANT $56,100
20.205 HIGHWAY PLANNING AND CONSTRUCTION $41,154
14.218 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANTS/ENTITLEMENT GRANTS $4,728
10.766 COMMUNITY FACILITIES LOANS AND GRANTS $4,303