Finding Text
Finding 2024-003: Community Development Block Grants
Type of Finding: Both Control and Compliance
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Pass-through Entity: Michigan Strategic Fund
Assistance Listing Number: 14.228
Award Numbers: MSC 22003-PGS and MSC-221009-WRI
Award Year Ends: November 30, 2024, and December 31, 2024
Specific Requirements: (F.) Equipment
Criteria: Section 200.313(d) of the Cost Principles of the Title 2 U.S. Code of Federal Regulations Part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance) requires a non-federal entity to (1) maintain property records that include a description of the property, a serial number or other identification number, the source of funding for the property, who holds the title, the acquisition date, cost of the property, percentage of Federal participation in the project costs for the Federal award under which the property was acquired, the location, use and condition of the property, and any ultimate disposition data including the date of disposal and sale price of the property, (2) perform a physical inventory of the property and reconcile the results with the property records at least once every two years, (3) develop a control system to ensure adequate safeguards to prevent loss, damage, or theft of the property with any suspected loss, damage or theft investigated.
Questioned Costs: None.
Condition: The listing maintained by the Village for assets acquired with federal funds was lacking certain required elements. In addition, a physical inventory was not performed and documented, and the results were not reconciled with the property records as required.
Context: The Village maintains a listing of fixed assets that it owns. We noted that the listing properly contained descriptions of the property, identification numbers, acquisition dates, and cost of the property. However, the fixed asset listing was lacking locations, federal funding sources, percentages of federal participation in the costs of fixed assets acquired under federal awards and the conditions of the property as required. In addition, the Village did not perform and document a physical inventory of the property and reconcile the results with the property records at least once every two years as required. The sample was not a statistically valid sample, and the matter appears to be a systemic condition.
Effect: A control system has not been fully implemented to safeguard the fixed assets to prevent loss, damage or theft and promptly investigate missing items. Failure to maintain adequate detailed fixed asset records with all the required elements, failure to perform a physical inventory of the property, and failure to reconcile the inventory results with the property records could lead to the loss or misappropriation of these assets.
Cause: The Village was unaware of the requirements to maintain adequate detailed fixed asset records with specified elements, perform a physical inventory of the property and reconcile the results with the property records at least once every two years. As a result, the Village did not have proper policies and procedures in place to ensure that these required steps were completed.
Repeat Finding: This is not a repeat finding.
Recommendation: The Village should establish procedures to require the maintenance of detailed fixed asset records that include all specified elements. In addition, the Village should perform a physical inventory of the property and reconcile the results with fixed asset records at least once every two years to help prevent loss, damage, or theft of the property.
Views of Responsible Officials: The Village agrees with this finding.