Finding 1169705 (2021-002)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
ABH
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2021
Accepted
2026-01-20
Audit: 382719
Organization: Pittsburg County (OK)

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: Pittsburg County lacks established internal controls for managing federal funds from the Coronavirus Relief Fund, risking noncompliance.
  • Impacted Requirements: The absence of procedures affects compliance with activities allowed, allowable costs, and the period of performance.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: The County should develop and implement internal control procedures to ensure compliance with federal grant requirements.

Finding Text

Finding 2021-002 – Lack of Internal Controls Over Major Federal Program – Coronavirus Relief Fund PASS-THROUGH GRANTOR: Oklahoma Office of Management and Enterprise Services FEDERAL AGENCY: U.S. Department of the Treasury ASSISTANCE LISTING: 21.019 FEDERAL PROGRAM NAME: Coronavirus Relief Fund FEDERAL AWARD NUMBER: SA-0135 FEDERAL AWARD YEAR: 2021 CONTROL CATEGORY: Activities Allowed or Unallowed; Allowable Costs/Cost Principles, Period of Performance QUESTIONED COSTS: $-0- Condition: During the process of documenting the County’s internal controls regarding federal disbursements for Coronavirus Relief fund, we noted that Pittsburg County has not established procedures to ensure compliance with the following compliance requirements: Activities Allowed or Unallowed; Allowable Costs/Cost Principles; and Period of Performance. Cause of Condition: Policies and procedures have not been designed and implemented to ensure federal expenditures are made in accordance with federal compliance requirements. Effect of Condition: This condition could result in noncompliance to grant requirements and loss of federal funds to the County. Recommendation: OSAI recommends the County gain an understanding of requirements for these programs and implement internal control procedures to ensure compliance with requirements. Management Response: Chairman Board of County Commissioners: The BOCC will develop internal control procedures to help ensure that Federal Grant funding is monitored more closely and that expenditures are verified to be in compliance with grant requirements. County Clerk: The county will develop internal controls for compliance on all federal grants to verify that all expenditures are valid per grant documentation. County Treasurer: As County Treasurer, I will help develop internal controls for compliance on all federal grants. Criteria: The GAO Standards – Section 1 – Fundamental Concepts of Internal Controls – OV1.01 states in part: Definition of Internal Controls Internal control is a process effected by an entity’s oversight body, management, and other personnel that provides reasonable assurance that the objectives of an entity will be achieved. 2 CFR § 200.303 Internal Controls (a) reads as follows: The non-Federal entity must: Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in “Standards forInternal Control in the Federal Government” issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the “Internal Control Integrated Framework”, issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).

Corrective Action Plan

The BOCC will develop internal control procedures to help ensure that federal grant funding is monitored more closely and that expenditures are verified to be in compliance with grant requirements. Future grant recipients will be required to have BOCC approval before expenditures can be turned in for payment. Grant recipients will also be required to have BOCC approval before depositing grant funds. This should ensure that all transactions are in compliance with grant requirements.

Categories

Allowable Costs / Cost Principles Internal Control / Segregation of Duties Period of Performance Matching / Level of Effort / Earmarking

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 1169704 2021-001
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1169706 2021-003
    Material Weakness Repeat

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
21.019 CORONAVIRUS RELIEF FUND $1.35M
15.226 PAYMENTS IN LIEU OF TAXES $175,342
16.034 CORONAVIRUS EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING PROGRAM $34,247
12.112 PAYMENTS TO STATES IN LIEU OF REAL ESTATE TAXES $33,470
97.042 EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERFORMANCE GRANTS $21,325
16.738 EDWARD BYRNE MEMORIAL JUSTICE ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM $10,000
21.027 CORONAVIRUS STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL RECOVERY FUNDS $7,084
97.036 DISASTER GRANTS - PUBLIC ASSISTANCE (PRESIDENTIALLY DECLARED DISASTERS) $6,222