Finding 1213738 (2025-002)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
P
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2025
Accepted
2026-05-05

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: Two invoices totaling $21,728 were recorded in the wrong fiscal year, affecting financial accuracy.
  • Impacted Requirements: This misrecording led to an understatement of expenses and revenues for fiscal year 2024, impacting the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Implement a year-end follow-up process with vendors to ensure all costs are accounted for, or estimate unbilled costs based on available vendor information.

Finding Text

Criteria: Internal control processes should include procedures to ensure that expenses incurred within the fiscal year are recorded and recognized in that period.Condition/Context: During our review of expenses, two invoices totaling $ 21,728 had a period of performance in fiscal year 2024 but were recorded in fiscal year 2025. This resulted in a prior period adjustment to the previously reported amounts for 2024. This impacted the schedule of expenditures of federal awards for fiscal year 2024 by understating expenses during the period. This resulted in revenue being understated for 2024 as revenue would have been recognized for a receivable since the revenue was earned. The Federal program impacted was assistance listing number 66.466 – Action For Clean Water grant. This was not a major program for 2024 and the exclusion of these items did not result in insufficient testing of federal awards.Cause: This was caused by expenses not being recorded in the period of performance.Effect: The above issue resulted in an understatement of revenues and expenses and assets and liabilities by $ 21,728. This impacted the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards by understating federal expenses for one program. This resulted in the restatement of the prior year financial statements and reissuance of the prior year Data Collection Form.Questioned Costs: NoneRecommendation: For service agreements or contracts signed, there should be a follow-up process near year-end with those vendors to obtain an estimate of the costs incurred to date if they have not invoiced at year end. If this is not feasible, the Organization should make a good faith effort to estimate the unbilled costs at year-end using vendor information such as project schedules, quotes, and interim billings.Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: Management will include as part of the approval of invoices, a process of follow-up with vendors near the end of the fiscal year to make sure all outstanding invoices or an estimate of costs incurred to date are received. If this is not feasible, management will estimate the unbilled costs at year end using vendor information

Corrective Action Plan

Management will include as part of the approval of invoices, a process of follow-up with vendors near the end of the fiscal year to make sure all outstanding invoices or an estimate of costs incurred to date are received. If this is not feasible, management will estimate the unbilled costs at year end using vendor information.

Categories

Procurement, Suspension & Debarment Period of Performance Reporting Internal Control / Segregation of Duties

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 1213736 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1213737 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
10.912 ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY INCENTIVES PROGRAM $239,157
10.924 CONSERVATION STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM $227,586
10.902 SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION $194,681
10.069 CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM $169,341
10.931 AGRICULTURAL CONSERVATION EASEMENT PROGRAM $169,341
66.964 GEOGRAPHIC PROGRAMS - CHESAPEAKE BAY PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION, REGULATORY/ACCOUNTABILITY AND MONITORING GRANTS $115,721
10.932 REGIONAL CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM $57,466
66.466 GEOGRAPHIC PROGRAMS - CHESAPEAKE BAY PROGRAM $42,837