Finding 1182374 (2025-003)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
H
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2025
Accepted
2026-03-24
Audit: 393804
Organization: City of Portsmouth (NH)

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: The City initially spent SLFRF funds on unapproved costs before the December 31, 2024 deadline.
  • Impacted Requirements: Compliance with federal guidelines on allowable costs and the obligation of funds during the specified period of performance.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Strengthen procedures to ensure all expenditures are properly obligated within the required timeframe.

Finding Text

Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Treasury Federal Program Name: Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) Assistance Listing Number: 21.027 Federal Award Identification Number: SLFRP1134 Pass-Through Agency: New Hampshire Governor’s Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery Pass-Through Number(s): Unknown Award Period: July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025 Compliance Requirement: Period of Performance Type of Finding: • Significant Deficiency in Internal Control over Compliance and Other Matters Criteria or specific requirement: A nonfederal entity may charge only allowable costs incurred during the approved budget period of a federal award’s period of performance and any costs incurred before the federal awarding agency or pass-through entity made the federal award that were authorized by the federal awarding agency or pass-through entity (2 CFR sections 200.308 200.309 and 200.403(h)). Specifically regarding SLFRF, recipients must obligate program funds by December 31, 2024. Condition and Context: A portion of the City’s SLFRF expenditures related to revenue loss were spent on the provision of government services. As part of the audit of the SLFRF grant, the City provided us with an initial list of expenditures related to revenue loss. We identified that some of the expenditures were not obligated by December 31, 2024. Subsequently, in accordance with question 17.19 of the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Frequently Asked Questions dated April 29, 2025, the City re-allocated some of the expenditures related to revenue loss. The re-allocated expenditures met period of performance requirements (i.e., they were all obligated by December 31, 2024). Questioned costs: None Cause: Procedures were not in place to ensure that all expenditures initially charged to the grant program were obligated by December 31, 2024 (subsequently corrected as identified above). Effect: Noncompliance with federal requirements initially occurred (subsequently corrected as identified above). Repeat Finding: No. Recommendation: We recommend procedures be strengthened to ensure that charges to the grant program are obligated and/or incurred within the period of performance. Views of responsible officials: Management agrees with the finding.

Corrective Action Plan

2025-003 Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds - Assistance Listing Number 21.027 Recommendation: We recommend procedures be strengthened to ensure that charges to the grant program are obligated and/or incurred within the period of performance. Explanation of disagreement with audit finding: There is no disagreement with the audit finding. Action taken in response to finding: The City acknowledges the finding related to documentation supporting the period of performance for expenditures reported under the SLFRF revenue loss category. Because the City applied the standard allowance for revenue loss and did not track specific expenditures to the grant at the transaction level, some expenditures initially provided for testing were outside the period of performance, although sufficient eligible expenditures existed within the allowable period. To address this issue, the Finance Department will implement procedures to maintain supporting schedules identifying government service expenditures incurred within the applicable period of performance that support amounts reported under the revenue loss category. Finance will also implement a review process to verify that expenditures identified for compliance or audit testing meet applicable period of performance and obligation requirements. These procedures will strengthen documentation and ensure expenditures supporting SLFRF revenue loss are clearly identified and supported for compliance purposes. Name(s) of the contact person(s) responsible for corrective action: Michael Tucker, Deputy Finance Director Planned completion date for corrective action plan: Implemented immediately and effective for all current and future federal awards.

Categories

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

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 1182364 2025-001
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1182365 2025-001
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1182366 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1182367 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1182368 2025-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1182369 2025-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1182370 2025-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1182371 2025-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1182372 2025-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1182373 2025-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1182375 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1182376 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1182377 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1182378 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1182379 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1182380 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1182381 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
14.218 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANTS/ENTITLEMENT GRANTS $1.04M
84.425 EDUCATION STABILIZATION FUND $942,123
84.027 SPECIAL EDUCATION GRANTS TO STATES $742,054
84.010 TITLE I GRANTS TO LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES $413,605
16.543 MISSING CHILDREN'S ASSISTANCE $139,489
84.367 SUPPORTING EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTION STATE GRANTS (FORMERLY IMPROVING TEACHER QUALITY STATE GRANTS) $108,855
97.047 BRIC: BUILDING RESILIENT INFRASTRUCTURE AND COMMUNITIES $106,384
84.287 TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTERS $97,129
84.048 CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION -- BASIC GRANTS TO STATES $46,229
97.115 ASSISTANCE TO FIREFIGHTERS GRANT (ARRA) $42,326
16.588 VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN FORMULA GRANTS $31,092
84.424 STUDENT SUPPORT AND ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT PROGRAM $27,959
16.575 CRIME VICTIM ASSISTANCE $24,739
20.205 HIGHWAY PLANNING AND CONSTRUCTION $21,944
84.173 SPECIAL EDUCATION PRESCHOOL GRANTS $21,415
10.555 NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM $15,652
21.027 CORONAVIRUS STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL RECOVERY FUNDS $14,470
16.607 BULLETPROOF VEST PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM $10,597
97.039 HAZARD MITIGATION GRANT $8,730
16.922 EQUITABLE SHARING PROGRAM $6,470
97.044 ASSISTANCE TO FIREFIGHTERS GRANT $4,611
20.616 NATIONAL PRIORITY SAFETY PROGRAMS $4,214
10.553 SCHOOL BREAKFAST PROGRAM $2,104
20.600 STATE AND COMMUNITY HIGHWAY SAFETY $1,062
97.042 EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERFORMANCE GRANTS $200