Finding 538597 (2024-014)

Significant Deficiency
Requirement
C
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2024
Accepted
2025-03-27
Audit: 349361
Organization: City of Montgomery, Alabama (AL)

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: The City failed to document the required review and approval for cash drawdowns from the Minority Health award.
  • Impacted Requirements: Noncompliance with 2 CFR 200.305 and internal control standards, leading to inadequate cash management practices.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Strengthen procedures to ensure proper reviews of cash drawdown requests are conducted by management.

Finding Text

Finding 2024-014 – Cash Management (Significant Deficiency and Noncompliance) Identification of the Federal Program: Community Program to Improve Minority Health, ALN 93.137, Department of Health and Human Services (Minority Health). Criteria: 2 CFR 200.305 establishes methods of receiving payment from federal agencies. 2 CFR 200.303 established that recipients must establish, document and maintain effective internal control over the federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the recipient or subrecipient is managing the federal award in compliance with federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award. These internal controls should align with the guidance in “Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government” issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the “Internal Control-Integrated Framework” issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). According to the City's approved fiscal policies and procedures, drawdown reports/reimbursement requests must be approved by the grants department and accounting manager or CFO. Condition: The City drew the remaining balance on the Minority Health award during the year. Documentation of review and approval for the draw was not available. Cause: The City is experiencing turnovers and staffing challenges which have led to some gaps in following procedures. Effect: The City did not document proper controls in place over cash management. Questioned Costs: None reported. Recommendation: We recommend the City should strengthen procedures to ensure it complies with its policies and procedures to ensure appropriate level of management is reviewing cash drawdown requests. Views of Responsible Officials: The City agrees with the finding. See Management’s View and Corrective Action Plan included at the end of the report.

Corrective Action Plan

Management concurs. The City will implement policies and procedures at the appropriate level of management in reviewing cash drawdown requests. Once completed, reconciliations will be reviewed and approved by someone other than the preparer to ensure that errors and or/adjustments are identified and corrected in a timely manner.

Categories

Cash Management

Other Findings in this Audit

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
21.027 Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds $4.53M
93.137 Community Programs to Improve Minority Health $1.94M
14.218 Community Development Block Grants/entitlement Grants $1.03M
93.391 Activities to Support State, Tribal, Local and Territorial (stlt) Health Department Response to Public Health Or Healthcare Crises $548,214
20.205 Highway Planning and Construction $288,329
14.239 Home Investment Partnerships Program $244,765
20.513 Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities $186,814
14.231 Emergency Solutions Grant Program $136,103
10.559 Summer Food Service Program for Children $89,790
20.507 Federal Transit Formula Grants $70,791
16.738 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program $46,286
32.011 Affordable Connectivity Outreach Grant Program $43,627
95.001 High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program $25,073
97.067 Homeland Security Grant Program $12,376
16.111 Joint Law Enforcement Operations (jleo) $11,933
15.904 Historic Preservation Fund Grants-in-Aid $7,220
93.069 Public Health Emergency Preparedness $6,824
97.042 Emergency Management Performance Grants $3,472
17.274 Youthbuild $1,518
94.011 Americorps Seniors Foster Grandparent Program (fgp) 94.011 $814