Finding 1227782 (2025-004)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
P
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2025
Accepted
2026-08-25
Audit: 409753
Organization: City of Merced (CA)
Auditor: EIDE BAILLY LLP

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: The City failed to accurately report federal expenditures, leading to significant understatements and overstatements on the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA).
  • Impacted Requirements: Compliance with Title 2 U.S. CFR Part 200, which mandates accurate tracking and reporting of federal awards and subrecipient funding.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: The City should enhance internal controls, ensure timely SEFA preparation, and have knowledgeable personnel review federal expenditure reporting for accuracy.

Finding Text

Program: COVID-19 - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds / HOME Investment Partnership Program Federal Financial Assistance Listing Number.: 21.027 / 14.239 Federal Grantor: U.S. Department of the Treasury / U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Award Number and Year: Affects all grant awards included under assistance listing 14.239 and 21.027 on the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards. Compliance Requirement: Other – Title 2 U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance) §200.510(b) - Schedule of Expenditures of Federal awards Type of Finding: Material Weakness in Internal Control over Compliance Criteria: Title 2 U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance) §200.510(b) states that the auditee (the City) must prepare a Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA) for the period covered by the auditee’s financial statements, which must include the total federal awards expended as determined in accordance with §200.502. §200.331 of the Uniform Guidance states the City is responsible for making case-by-case determinations to determine whether the entity receiving the Federal funds is a subrecipient. In addition, §200.303 of the Uniform Guidance states that the City must establish and maintain effective internal control over the federal awards, including controls over the accuracy of program information and expenditure amounts. Condition: During our audit procedures performed over the SEFA we noted the following: • The City did not properly identify the amount expended for the COVID-19 Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, AL No. 21.027. The expenditures reported by the City were understated by $176,324. • The City did not properly identify the amount of Federal funding passed through to subrecipients for the COVID-19 Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, AL No. 21.027. The amount passed through to subrecipients reported by the City was understated by $418,183. • The City did not properly identify the amount of Federal funding passed through to subrecipients for the Home Investment Partnerships Program, AL No. 14.239. The amount passed through to subrecipients reported by the City was overstated by $2,591,181. Cause: As a result, the City lacked adequate internal controls to ensure the SEFA is completely and accurately stated. Specifically, the City’s processes for recording and tracking expenditures of Federal awards are not designed so that expenditures are identified when incurred. In addition, the City’s processes for identifying and reporting subrecipients are not designed to ensure appropriate reporting on the SEFA. Effect: Adjustments to the SEFA were required. Questioned Costs: No questioned costs were identified as a result of our procedures. Context/Sampling: No sampling was used. Program expenditures and amounts passed through to subrecipients were reconciled to the supporting records. Repeat Finding from Prior Year: No. Recommendation: The City, including all its reporting departments, should follow existing policies, procedures and internal controls to ensure all expenditures and amounts passed through to subrecipients are accurately tracked and reported on the SEFA. Personnel knowledgeable of federal expenditures should review amounts coded to federal programs for completeness and accuracy. The SEFA should be prepared and reviewed in a timely manner and reconciled to underlying records as well as the basic financial statements. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Action: See separate corrective action plan.

Corrective Action Plan

Program Federal Financial Assistance Listing Number.: 21.027 / 14.239 Federal Grantor: U.S. Department of the Treasury / U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Award Number and Year: Affects all grant awards included under assistance listing 14.239 and 21.027 on the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards. Compliance Requirement: Other – Title 2 U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance) §200.510(b) - Schedule of Expenditures of Federal awards Management’s Response: We concur. Views of Responsible Officials and Corrective Action: The finance staff and program manager did not fully understand the distinctions between subrecipient and beneficiary, resulting in inaccurate reporting of these amounts. The City Manager and relevant department managers met to address this issue and recommend that staff undergo appropriate training. The training schedule will be discussed further, taking into consideration availability, location, and budget constraints. This was corrected in the Single Audit Report which will be filed with the Federal Government. Name of Responsible Person: Finance Leadership and Grant Program Managers Projected Implementation Date: August 1, 2026

Categories

Reporting

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 1227762 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1227763 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1227764 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1227765 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1227766 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1227767 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1227768 2025-005
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1227769 2025-005
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1227770 2025-005
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1227771 2025-005
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1227772 2025-005
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1227773 2025-005
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1227774 2025-006
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1227775 2025-006
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1227776 2025-006
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1227777 2025-006
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1227778 2025-006
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1227779 2025-006
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1227780 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1227781 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1227783 2025-007
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1227784 2025-007
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1227785 2025-007
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1227786 2025-008
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1227787 2025-008
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1227788 2025-008
    Material Weakness Repeat

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
20.106 COVID-19 AIRPORT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT AND JOBS ACT PROGRAMS, AND COVID-19 AIRPORTS PROGRAMS $11.32M
97.083 STAFFING FOR ADEQUATE FIRE AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE (SAFER) $2.61M
21.027 COVID - 19 CORONAVIRUS STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL RECOVERY FUNDS $1.72M
97.044 ASSISTANCE TO FIREFIGHTERS GRANT $87,406
20.600 STATE AND COMMUNITY HIGHWAY SAFETY $83,831
14.239 HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIPS PROGRAM $45,056
14.218 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANTS/ENTITLEMENT GRANTS $33,569
16.607 BULLETPROOF VEST PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM $7,749
20.205 HIGHWAY PLANNING AND CONSTRUCTION $3,251