Finding 1241514 (2024-002)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
L
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2024
Accepted
2026-11-02

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: The U.S. Department of Treasury's ARPA quarterly report had missing expenses and unsupported adjustments.
  • Impacted Requirements: Noncompliance with reporting standards could lead to legal issues and questioned costs of $3,868.
  • Recommended Follow-up: Implement monthly reconciliations and ensure thorough documentation reviews before report submissions.

Finding Text

Finding 2024-002 - Reporting- Material Weakness Name of Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Treasury Federal Program Name and Assistance Listing Number: Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Federal Award Identification Number and Year: 21.027 2024 Name of Pass-through Entity (if applicable): City of College Park Criteria Pursuant to the ARPA grant agreement, management is required to submit a programmatic data report for the previous quarters to the grantor. The report summarizes the expenses utilized and activities supported by ARPA funding. Condition During our testing over reporting, we noted that there were omitted expenses in the ARPA quarterly report and included adjustments that lacked sufficient documentation. Cause Reconciliations of funds were not being performed each month to check for accuracy and completeness. Effect or Potential Effect Failure to comply with the reporting requirements of the Uniform Guidance could result in noncompliance with laws and regulations. Questioned Costs $3,868 expenses from Q3 2023 to Q4 2023. Context We selected four reports submitted to ARPA to report the use of finds over the performance period. We noted that on the March 2024 report, expense from previously submitted reports were said to be omitted. When we inquired with management on the detail of those expenses, we were unable to reconcile all of the reported expenses. Identification as a Repeat Finding This finding is not a repeat finding. Recommendation We recommend that documentation over expense reports be reviewed by management and that monthly reconciliation be performed by appropriate staff in accordance with the client's internal control procedures. Views of Responsible Officials Management concurs with Findings 2024-2 and agrees with the auditor’s recommendation. During this period under the audit, grant expenditures reported to the grantor were not consistently reconciled to the general ledger and underlying supporting documentation before submission. The Partnership recognizes the need for formal grant reporting procedures, document management review, and consistent retention of the records supporting reported expenditures and adjustments.

Corrective Action Plan

Management concurs with the finding and recommendation. The Organization recognizes the importance of maintaining complete and accurate documentation supporting expenditures reported under federal awards and ensuring that amounts reported to the grantor reconcile to the underlying accounting records. Management has strengthened its procedures for preparing and reviewing ARPA and other grant-related financial reports. The Partnership corrected the reporting discrepancy through its March 2024 Q1 report to the City of College Park, with all subsequent reports reflecting the correction. The final report to the City, submitted on May 16, 2025, as part of the grant closeout, provided a complete accounting of the grant funds expended and their intended purposes, together with bank statements and supporting documentation. The City did not identify any additional concerns with the corrected or subsequent reports following the December 2023 Q4 report. The Partnership has also implemented broader improvements including a redesigned chart of accounts, grant specific project records within QuickBooks, a centralized grant tracker, reorganized electronic files centered on individual grant awards, and a regular review meeting between the Partnership and TCG. These improvements provide clearer grant level accounting, reporting, deadline tracking, and supporting documentation. In addition, since the period under audit, the Partnership has already implemented adjustments to grant reporting. Management maintains a reconciliation between cumulative expenditures reported to the grantor and cumulative expenditures recorded in the general ledger. Management is finalizing written grant administration and reporting policies and procedures as part of the financial policies and procedures updates – outlining requiring grant specific reconciliations to the general ledger and supporting documentation, documented explanations for adjustments and corrections, management review and approval before submission,complete grant reporting files, and period review of reporting and closeout requirements by grantor. Management anticipates competing and formally implementing these policies and procedures by November 30, 2026. Once established, the Finance Committee will receive periodic updates on grant reporting controls and the status of related corrective actions. The Partnership will retain the reports and supporting documentation associated with the $3,86 identified by the auditors and will provide additional information if requested by the City or the federal awarding agency. If a management decision requires additional action, the Partnership will respond withing the timeframe identified in that decision.

Categories

Subrecipient Monitoring Material Weakness Period of Performance Reporting Internal Control / Segregation of Duties

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
21.027 CORONAVIRUS STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL RECOVERY FUNDS $2.21M