Finding 518454 (2024-001)

Material Weakness
Requirement
A
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2024
Accepted
2025-01-09
Audit: 336915
Organization: Heyworth Village of (IL)

AI Summary

  • Bank Reconciliations Issue: Ending cash balances in bank reconciliations did not match the general ledger due to insufficient accounting staff.
  • Payroll Liability Concern: The child support payable account was overstated because remitted payments were incorrectly recorded, again linked to a lack of accounting resources.
  • Transfer Account Misstatements: Unapproved transactions were found in transfer accounts, necessitating a review by Board members or management to ensure compliance with management approval.

Finding Text

Criteria: Bank reconciliations will reconcile the ending cash balances from the bank statements to the general ledger. Condition: We noted the bank reconciliations did not reconcile the ending cash balances from the bank statements to the general ledger. Cause: The Village does not have the resources to hire additional accounting staff to review reconciliations and journal entries. Effect: Because of the lack of accounting staff, ending balances of cash accounts did not agree to the supporting schedules, reconciliations, and supporting documentation. Recommendation: We recommend a member of the Board of Trustees or management to review the bank reconciliations for all bank accounts, ensure they agree to the general ledger, and identify unusual items, such as reconciling items greater than one year old. Criteria: Payroll liability accounts, including child support payable should only carry a balance of unremitted payments. Condition: We noted the child support payable account had a large balance and the remitted payments made were recorded to reduce accounts payable and not this payroll liability. Cause: The Village does not have the resources to hire additional accounting staff to review account balances. Effect: Because of the lack of accounting staff, ending child support payable was overstated. Recommendation: We recommend a member of the Board of Trustees or management review the payroll liability for all bank accounts to determine that they are being properly reduced. Criteria: Transfer accounts should only include management approved transfers. Condition: We noted numerous transactions in the transfer account that were reimbursements between funds and not management approved transfers. Cause: The Village does not have the resources to hire additional accounting staff to review account balances. Effect: Because of the lack of accounting staff, transfers from numerous funds were misstated. Recommendation: We recommend a member of the Board of Trustees or management review the transfer accounts to ensure that only management approved transfers are included.

Corrective Action Plan

We have put in place that all cash reports will be verified in balance before and after bank statements are completed each month. These reports will then be reported in the monthly Treasurer Report to the Village Board and Management. This process will be completed for each account of the Village. These reports will also be printed and filed with our bank statements that are kept in-house for the correct time in compliance with the Illinois Local Records Act. This control will be completed by the Village Treasurer and verified by the Village Office Manager. We have put in place that all payroll liability accounts will be checked bi-monthly to verify only unremitted amounts are showing as a balance. We became aware that the previous year’s amounts were being carried over due to not being properly cleared out at year’s end, and that this line item within that account does not reflect an in and out account similar to other payroll accounts. With the help of our accounting software, gWorks, this should be corrected and should no longer be an ongoing error requiring adjustment. This control will be carried out by the Office and Human Resource Manager. We have put in place that all interfund transfers will be approved by the Office Manager and/or Village Treasurer (two parties involved in approval). Due to the setting up of our payroll process, these transfers will be verified during the bank reconciliation process. The Village Treasurer will also verify that all vendors are paid from the proper account to assure invoices are coded appropriately after entry by office staff to avoid most interfund transfers. If a vendor is paid from an incorrect account, the Office Manager or Village Treasurer will be required to review and approve to reimburse that account with a transfer between funds. The Village Office Staff employees will verify deposits before bank submission to help assure all monetary deposits are entered into the proper account. If a deposit is incorrectly sent to the wrong bank account, the Office Manager or Village Treasurer will adjust the bank accounts with an interfund transfer to balance the deposit correctly.

Categories

Cash Management

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 1094896 2024-001
    Material Weakness

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
66.468 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund $914,873