Finding 384220 (2023-001)

Significant Deficiency
Requirement
P
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2023
Accepted
2024-03-25

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: Management needs to ensure effective internal controls over financial reporting to prevent misstatements.
  • Impacted Requirements: Fair presentation of financial statements in line with U.S. accounting principles is at risk due to adjusting entries.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Management should regularly review and record adjusting entries throughout the year, especially before audits.

Finding Text

Criteria or specific requirement: Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining effective internal controls over financial reporting. Management is responsible for the fair presentation of the financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Condition: During the 2023 audit, we identified adjusting entries relating to grants received by certain divisions of BGMU, which were proposed, and management recorded. Effect: Potentially material misstatements in the financial statements and disclosures. Cause: Adjustments were made primarily as a result of audit procedures performed. Recommendation: Management should continue to review these areas throughout the year. Views of responsible officials and planned corrective actions: BGMU management will review and record all adjusting journal entries throughout the year, including fiscal year-end journal entries, prior to the beginning of the audit engagement.

Corrective Action Plan

The following is the Management's Response to Auditor's Findings, Summary Schedule of Prior Audit Findings and Corrective Action Plan. This document was prepared by management of Bowling Green Municipal Utilities.Significant deficiency in lnternal Control, resulting from adjusting entries relating to grants received which were not made prior to audit process. Finding Summary: During the 2023 audit, auditors identified adjusting entries relating to grants received by certain divisions of BGMU, which were proposed and recorded through the audit process but not prior to audit performance Explanation of Agreement/Disagreement: Management concurs with the finding and understands that adjusting entries should be made timely for proper financial statement reporting. Because the Electric division of BGMU, which is where these expenditures occurred, is regulated by FERC, grant monies are not recorded as an income item on the income statement. The adjustment in question merely moved the dollars subject to FEMA reimbursement from the Construction in Progress account to a grant receivable account, both balance sheet asset accounts. The subsequent receipt of the funds were recorded against the CIP asset, therefore there was no bottom line effect. Officials Responsible for Ensuring Corrective Action: The BGMU CFO and Controller will be responsible for corrective and future action Planned Completion for Corrective Action: September,2022 Plan to Monitor Completion of Corrective Action: BGMU management will review and record all adjusting journal entries throughout the year, including fiscal year-end journal entries, prior to the beginning of the audit engagement.

Categories

Reporting Internal Control / Segregation of Duties

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 960662 2023-001
    Significant Deficiency

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
97.036 Disaster Grants - Public Assistance (presidentially Declared Disasters) $3.38M