Finding 26250 (2022-003)

Material Weakness
Requirement
L
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2022
Accepted
2023-06-28
Audit: 22891
Organization: City of Montgomery, Alabama (AL)
Auditor: Jackson Thornton

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: The City failed to properly monitor and review grant reports, leading to significant reporting errors.
  • Impacted Requirements: Expenditures were misstated, with $1,213,447 omitted and cumulative expenditures understated by $1,328,786, along with incorrect subrecipient listings totaling $1,541,016.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Ensure staff understand reporting guidelines and establish robust review procedures for all grant reports.

Finding Text

Identification of the Federal Program - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds - Assistance Listing Number 21.027 Criteria - The criteria is based on the guidelines and regulations set forth by the funding agency, the Department of the Treasury, in the Compliance and Reporting Guidance: State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds document. According to these requirements, recipients must include the total of both the current period expenditure and the cumulative expenditure as of the end of each quarter on each quarterly Project and Expenditure report. These amounts should agree to amounts recorded in the City?s trial balance and amounts reported on the SEFA. The recipients must also include detailed obligation and expenditure information for contracts and grants awarded. The recipient should also report on any subawards agreed upon with obligations or payments made to subrecipients. 2 CFR 200.303, Internal Controls, requires that recipients establish and maintain effective internal control over Federal awards that provides reasonable assurance that the recipient is managing Federal awards in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal awards. Condition - There was a lack of monitoring and appropriate review by the City of certain reports prepared by the grant department. Effect - For the reporting period ended June 30, 2022, current expenditures of $1,213,447 were excluded from the report and Cumulative Expenditures was understated by $1,328,786. Also, subrecipients were listed on the June 30, 2022 report that were not true subrecipients. The entities incorrectly listed as subrecipients had subawards totaling $1,541,016 incorrectly reported on the report. Cause - The incorrect reporting is attributed to a lack of understanding/misinterpretation of the reporting guidelines by the responsible personnel. Recommendation - The City should ensure responsible personnel has a clear understanding of the reporting guidance including what constitutes a subrecipient. The City should implement policies and procedures to monitor and review all reports prepared and submitted by the grants department. Views of Responsible Officials - The City agrees with the finding. The City will implement additional review procedures over grant reporting requirements, including more adequate review of reports prepared by third-party grant administrators.

Corrective Action Plan

Management concurs. The City will ensure responsible personnel has a clear understanding of the reporting guidance including what constitutes a subrecipient. The City will implement policies and procedures to monitor and review all reports prepared and submitted by the Grants Department.

Categories

Subrecipient Monitoring Reporting

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 602692 2022-003
    Material Weakness

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
21.027 Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds $4.38M
20.507 Federal Transit_formula Grants $2.26M
14.231 Emergency Solutions Grant Program $968,481
93.137 Community Programs to Improve Minority Health Grant Program $585,376
20.205 Highway Planning and Construction $475,694
14.218 Community Development Block Grants/entitlement Grants $401,125
93.391 Activities to Support State, Tribal, Local and Territorial (stlt) Health Department Response to Public Health Or Healthcare Crises $253,801
10.559 Summer Food Service Program for Children $98,083
59.075 Shuttered Venue Operators Grant Program $90,724
20.513 Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities $82,588
97.042 Emergency Management Performance Grants $76,080
16.922 Equitable Sharing Program $74,056
32.009 Shuttered Venue Operators Grant $57,850
14.239 Home Investment Partnerships Program $46,837
16.738 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program $45,652
20.526 Buses and Bus Facilities Formula, Competitive, and Low Or No Emissions Programs $42,743
16.034 Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding Program $40,527
20.600 State and Community Highway Safety $38,164
15.904 Historic Preservation Fund Grants-in-Aid $29,413
16.609 Project Safe Neighborhoods $28,876
93.069 Public Health Emergency Preparedness $22,942
16.843 Gulf States Regional Law Enforcement Technology Training and Technical Assistance Initiative (b) $18,464
95.001 High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program $16,245
45.310 Grants to States $15,300
97.067 Homeland Security Grant Program $6,117
14.228 Community Development Block Grants/state's Program and Non-Entitlement Grants in Hawaii $1,389