Finding 37538 (2022-001)

Significant Deficiency
Requirement
AB
Questioned Costs
$1
Year
2022
Accepted
2023-01-11
Audit: 35510
Organization: Harford County, Maryland (MD)

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: One out of sixty expenditures tested was for a non-allowable activity, indicating a lack of proper oversight.
  • Impacted Requirements: Compliance with the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds guidelines, specifically regarding allowable costs and activities.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: The County should strengthen internal controls to ensure only eligible expenses are charged to the grant.

Finding Text

Federal Agency: Department of Treasury Federal Program Title and ALM: Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (21.027) Award Period: March 3, 2021 ? December 31, 2024, liquidated by December 31, 2026 Compliance Requirement: Activities Allowed or Unallowed and Allowable Costs/Cost Principles Criteria or specific requirement: Recipients may use CSLFRF payments for any eligible expenses subject to the restrictions set forth in sections 602 and 603 of the Social Security Act as added by section 9901 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (codified as 42 USC 802 and 42 USC 803 respectively). Recipients may use payments from CSLFRF to: - Support public health expenditures, by funding COVID-19 mitigation efforts, medical expenses, behavioral healthcare, and certain public health and safety staff; - Address negative economic impacts caused by the public health emergency, including economic harms to workers, households, small businesses, impacted industries, and the public sector; - Replace lost public sector revenue to provide government services; recipients may use this funding to provide government services to the extent of the reduction in revenue experienced due to the pandemic. - Provide premium pay for essential workers, offering additional support to those who have borne and will bear the greatest health risks because of their service in critical infrastructure sectors; and - Invest in water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure, making necessary investments to improve access to clean drinking water, support vital wastewater and stormwater infrastructure, and to expand access to broadband internet. Under the Final Rule, recipients can elect a one-time ?standard allowance? of $10 million (not to exceed the recipient?s award amount) to spend on the ?provision of government services? during the period of performance. Alternatively, recipients can calculate lost revenue based on the formula provided in the Final Rule to determine the limit for the amount of CSLFRF funds that can be used for the ?provision of government services.? Recipients should provide auditors with evidence that they meet the requirements to elect the standard allowance or provide auditors with evidence supporting their revenue loss calculation. Questioned Costs: $2,260 Condition/Context: One out of sixty expenditures tested was not for an allowable activity. Cause: The County did not have sufficient internal controls in place to adequately review allowable activity and costs being charged to the grant. Effect: The County charged a non-allowable activity/cost to the grant. Repeat Finding: This is not a repeat finding. Recommendation: We recommend the County strengthen and enforce its internal controls to ensure only allowable expenditures are charged to the grant. Views of responsible officials: Management agrees with the finding.

Corrective Action Plan

HARFORD COUNTY, MARYLAND CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2022 Harford County, Maryland respectfully submits the following corrective action plan for the year ended June 30, 2022. Audit period: July 1, 2021 ? June 30, 2022 The findings from the schedule of findings and questioned costs are discussed below. The findings are numbered consistently with the numbers assigned in the schedule. FINDINGS?FINANCIAL STATEMENT AUDIT None were reported. FINDINGS?FEDERAL AWARD PROGRAMS AUDITS U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY 2022-001 Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds -Assistance Listing No. 21.027 Recommendation: We recommend the County strengthen and enforce its internal controls to ensure only allowable expenditures are charged to the grant. Explanation of disagreement with audit finding: There is no disagreement with the audit finding. Action taken in response to finding: The unallowed expenditure was moved out of the ARPA grant. The expenditure is being paid by County funds. All ARPA expenditures since July 1, 2022 (FY2023) have been reviewed to ensure they are allowable expenditures. Any expenditures that were not in compliance were moved from the grant to be paid by County funds. Name(s) of the contact person(s) responsible for corrective action: Robert Sandlass Planned completion date for corrective action plan: 11/30/22

Categories

Questioned Costs Allowable Costs / Cost Principles Period of Performance

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 613980 2022-001
    Significant Deficiency

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
21.027 Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds $20.73M
21.023 Emergency Rental Assistance Program $4.50M
20.205 Highway Planning and Construction $3.37M
14.218 Community Development Block Grants/entitlement Grants $1.35M
20.507 Federal Transit_formula Grants $1.19M
97.067 Homeland Security Grant Program $507,341
93.563 Child Support Enforcement $388,618
17.278 Wia Dislocated Worker Formula Grants $342,207
14.871 Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers $333,319
93.959 Block Grants for Prevention and Treatment of Substance Abuse $328,760
17.258 Wia Adult Program $245,553
17.259 Wia Youth Activities $240,488
97.042 Emergency Management Performance Grants $202,149
14.239 Home Investment Partnerships Program $170,209
16.922 Equitable Sharing Program $130,709
14.241 Housing Opportunities for Persons with Aids $116,288
16.575 Crime Victim Assistance $75,768
11.420 Coastal Zone Management Estuarine Research Reserves $51,959
93.643 Children's Justice Grants to States $40,009
20.600 State and Community Highway Safety $34,517
20.616 National Priority Safety Programs $33,441
20.505 Metropolitan Transportation Planning and State and Non-Metropolitan Planning and Research $31,200
93.052 National Family Caregiver Support, Title Iii, Part E $31,078
14.896 Family Self-Sufficiency Program $30,905
14.169 Housing Counseling Assistance Program $30,755
93.043 Special Programs for the Aging_title Iii, Part D_disease Prevention and Health Promotion Services $27,571
93.778 Medical Assistance Program $26,666
16.738 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program $26,389
14.879 Mainstream Vouchers $26,322
93.045 Special Programs for the Aging_title Iii, Part C_nutrition Services $24,141
93.324 State Health Insurance Assistance Program $21,840
20.218 National Motor Carrier Safety $19,767
95.001 High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program $15,739
93.071 Medicare Enrollment Assistance Program $9,973
21.000 Equitable Sharing $9,844
93.048 Special Programs for the Aging_title Iv_and Title Ii_discretionary Projects $8,138
93.044 Special Programs for the Aging_title Iii, Part B_grants for Supportive Services and Senior Centers $3,374
20.703 Interagency Hazardous Materials Public Sector Training and Planning Grants $2,603