Finding 1223009 (2025-003)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
A
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2025
Accepted
2026-07-07

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: Cash and investment account balances do not match financial statements, showing a discrepancy of $461,912.
  • Impacted Requirements: Monthly reconciliations are not being conducted properly, leading to potential misstatements and undetected errors.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Investigate and correct the discrepancies, and establish a monthly reconciliation process to ensure accuracy in the general ledger.

Finding Text

2025-003 Cash and Investment Account Balances Do Not Reconcile to the Financial Statements Criteria: Internal controls require that all cash accounts be reconciled monthly on a timely basis, with all reconciling items (outstanding checks, deposits in transit, bank errors, unrecorded transactions, etc.) properly identified, investigated, and recorded in the general ledger so that the reconciled balance agrees with the financial statements. Condition: During the audit of cash and investments as of Fiscal Year Ending September 30, 2025, we noted that the bank reconciliations for the accounts showed a total reconciled account balance of $1,911,869, while the Unaudited FDS balance reflected $2,373,781. The difference of $461,912 was not properly investigated, adjusted, or explained. Questioned Costs: $461,912 Effect: Misstatement of cash and investment balances in the financial statements, as well as an increased risk of undetected errors. Cause: Lack of prior management oversight. Recommendation: Perform an investigation and correction of the current reconciling differences and record the appropriate adjusting journal entries. The housing authority should also implement a monthly cash reconciliation process that ensures the final reconciled balance fully agrees with the general ledger.

Corrective Action Plan

A review of financials determined that due to fraud bank accounts were closed and not correctly documented in the financials leading to a misstatement of assets. All accounts have been reviewed and adjusting entries made to correct prior deficienceis. LSHA has strengthened internal controls to prevent future discrepencies and has implemented a formal cash reconciliation procedure requiring all bank accounts to be reconciled following the end of each month. Each reconiciliation includes verification that the adjusted bank balance agrees to the general ledger cash balance, documentation of all outstanding reconciling items, and timely resolution of any differences identified.

Categories

Internal Control / Segregation of Duties

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 1223010 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1223011 2025-005
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1223012 2025-006
    Material Weakness Repeat

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
14.871 SECTION 8 HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHERS $7.25M
14.872 PUBLIC HOUSING CAPITAL FUND $166,456
14.850 PUBLIC AND INDIAN HOUSING $164,255