Finding 1180864 (2024-005)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
B
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2024
Accepted
2026-03-18
Audit: 392505
Organization: City of South Gate (CA)
Auditor: DAVIS FARR LLP

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: The City improperly charged CDBG payroll expenses based on estimated allocations instead of actual hours worked.
  • Impacted Requirements: This violates 2 CFR 200.430(i), which requires payroll charges to reflect actual work performed and not just budget estimates.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: The City should adjust its payroll system to ensure charges are based on actual hours recorded on employee timesheets.

Finding Text

2024-005: Federal Awards – Allowable Costs: Condition: The City charged CDBG payroll expenses to the program based a timesheet allocation and did not adjust the charges to reconcile to actual time incurred per employee timesheets. Criteria 2 CFR 200.430(i), Standards for Documentation of Personnel Expenses, states, in part: “Charges to Federal awards for salaries and wages must be based on records thataccurately reflect the work performed…” Charges must “support the distribution of the employee's salary or wages among specific activities or cost objectives if the employee works on more than one Federal award;…” And “budget estimates (i.e., estimates determined before the services are performed) alone do not qualify as support for charges to Federal awards.” Cause The City's payroll system charges time for employees each pay period based on an allocation rather than actual hours documented on the employee’s timesheet. Effect Payroll costs charged to the program were greater than amounts supported by thedocumentation. Questioned Costs There were questioned costs in the amount of $68,488. Recommendation We recommend that the City charge time to the program based on actual hours worked perthe employees' timesheets.

Corrective Action Plan

Management acknowledges the importance of ensuring that payroll costs charged to the program are consistent between the payroll system and the employee’s timesheet. The City continues to monitor its internal control process to ensure thorough review procedures are being followed. Timesheets are reviewed, bi-weekly, by payroll and adjusted to reflect actual hours as they relate to a specific activity. The City was able to hire a permanent accountant hiring who will provide additional oversight of these processes ensuring that hours worked are both reported correctly on the timesheets and are following the funding allocations that are approved by the grant.

Categories

Allowable Costs / Cost Principles

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 1180856 2024-005
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1180857 2024-007
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1180858 2024-005
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1180859 2024-007
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1180860 2024-005
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1180861 2024-007
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1180862 2024-005
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1180863 2024-007
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1180865 2024-007
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1180866 2024-006
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1180867 2024-007
    Material Weakness Repeat

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
21.027 CORONAVIRUS STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL RECOVERY FUNDS $6.44M
14.871 SECTION 8 HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHERS $5.68M
16.922 EQUITABLE SHARING PROGRAM $1.05M
14.871 EMERGENCY HOUSING VOUCHERS $242,251
66.818 BROWNFIELDS MULTIPURPOSE, ASSESSMENT, REVOLVING LOAN FUND, AND CLEANUP COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS $113,886
97.067 HOMELAND SECURITY GRANT PROGRAM $64,371
16.738 EDWARD BYRNE MEMORIAL JUSTICE ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM $50,031
14.218 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANTS/ENTITLEMENT GRANTS $30,640
20.608 MINIMUM PENALTIES FOR REPEAT OFFENDERS FOR DRIVING WHILE INTOXICATED $23,901
20.600 STATE AND COMMUNITY HIGHWAY SAFETY $20,400