Finding 1215119 (2025-002)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
P
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2025
Accepted
2026-05-20
Audit: 401809
Organization: Maine Connectivity Authority (ME)

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: Expenditures for a federal grant were omitted from the Schedule due to issues with a new general ledger system.
  • Impacted Requirements: Internal controls over financial reporting were ineffective, leading to potential misstatements and inaccuracies.
  • Recommended Follow-up: Establish a formal process for timely reconciliation of the Schedule to ensure accuracy and compliance.

Finding Text

Finding Number: 2025-002 - Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards Criteria: The Authority is responsible for designing, implementing and maintaining effective internal control over the preparation of the schedule of expenditures of federal awards (the Schedule) that provides reasonable assurance that the internal controls will prevent misstatements, intentional or unintentional, from occurring, or detect and correct misstatements on a timely basis. Condition Found: Subsequent to the issuance of the Schedule for the year ended June 30, 2025, management identified that expenditures related to the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Telecommunications and Information Administration Middle Mile Grant Program, Assistance Listing No. 11.033, were inadvertently omitted from the Schedule submitted to the Federal Audit Clearinghouse. Cause and Effect: This condition was primarily due to the implementation of a new general ledger system during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025. The conversion process resulted in misclassification of certain receivables and deferred revenue balances, which required manual adjustments within the financial system. The Schedule was not reconciled to the audited financial statements for the year ended June 30, 2025. The lack of timely reconciliation increases the risk that material misstatements may not be identified and corrected promptly, thereby impacting the accuracy and timeliness of financial reporting. Recommendation: We recommend management implement a formal process to help ensure that the Schedule is reconciled in a timely manner. Identification as a Repeat Finding, if applicable Not applicable. Management response: While the Authority was aware that the system conversion could result in temporary delays in reconciliation and reporting, the extent and duration of these delays were more significant than anticipated and resulted in the omission of the Schedule. Management agrees with the findings and recommendations.

Corrective Action Plan

Corrective Action Plan 2025-002 - Schedule of Expenditures and Federal Awards During the second half of fiscal year 2024 and during fiscal year 2025, the Authority conducted a project to implement a new ERP system to manage the Authority's financial activities from July 1, 2024, onwards. At the time of the audit issuance, the Authority is continuing to collaborate with supporting vendors to adjust the automated functionality of the new ERP system, specifically related to Accounts Receivable, Undisbursed Grant Funds and Grant Revenue recognition. The new ERP system has been successfully utilized for expenses, allocation of expenses and for federal grant reporting purposes. Manual adjustments were conducted by the Authority's finance team to prepare the overall financial statements that were audited. • The FY25 Audit process has highlighted the already known deficiencies that exist with the current integration of NetSuite as MCA's ERP. • The list of remaining deficiencies vs. the limitations of the system is currently being assessed by Oracle, MHI, and by an independent third-party expert, to assist MCA in navigating the process to effectively address each remaining issue in a timely manner. • MCA's Finance Team has developed a Financial Strategy and Action Plan Metric to assist with tracking monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, and annual reconciliations and reporting to ensure timeliness and accuracy of financial reporting. • Manual adjustments and journals are the resulting transactions derived from this metric which will continue to be necessary until MCA has completed the analysis with vendor partners to resolve and refine the ERP System configuration and workflows. MCA will continue to provide progress reports to the Audit & Risk Committee and MCA Board until resolved.

Categories

Reporting

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
21.027 CORONAVIRUS STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL RECOVERY FUNDS $47.90M
11.035 BROADBAND EQUITY, ACCESS, AND DEPLOYMENT PROGRAM $3.73M
11.033 MIDDLE MILE (BROADBAND) GRANT PROGRAM $1.53M