Finding 572589 (2024-004)

FINDING 2024-004 Subject: COVID-19 - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds - Reporting Federal Agency: Department of the Treasury Federal Program: COVID-19 - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Assistance Listings Number: 21.027 Federal Award Number and Year (or Other Identifying Number): FY24 Compliance Requirement: Reporting Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Other Matters Repeat Finding This is a repeat finding from the immediately prior audit report. The prior audit finding number was 2023-005. Condition and Context Recipients are required to submit quarterly or annually Project and Expenditure (P&E) reports to the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury). The reporting periods, as well as the respective due dates, are based upon type of recipient and its population, as well as the recipient's allocation amount. Information to be reported includes projects funded, expenditures, and contracts for the appropriate reporting period. The County was classified as a metropolitan county with a population below 250,000 residents that received an allocation of less than $10 million in COVID-19 - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF). As such, the initial P&E report, covering the period from March 3, 2021 to March 31, 2022, was required to be submitted to the Treasury by April 30, 2022. The subsequent annual reports are to cover one calendar year and must be submitted to the Treasury by April 30 each year. The County submitted the P&E report by April 30, 2024, as required; however, a single employee prepared and submitted the P&E report without a review or oversight process in place to prevent, or detect and correct, errors. As a result, the following errors were noted:  The current period expenditures for ten projects tested were understated by $533,935. In addition, current period expenditures for one project tested was overstated by $4,529.  The cumulative expenditures for six projects tested were understated by $151,208. In addition, cumulative expenditures for three projects tested were overstated by $108,106. INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 20 DECATUR COUNTY SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued)  The current period obligations for four projects tested were understated by $205,178. In addition, current period obligations for four projects tested were overstated by $1,634,629.  The cumulative obligations for one project tested was understated by $100,000. In addition, cumulative obligations for six projects tested were overstated by $2,007,842. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance were systemic issues throughout the audit period. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with 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). . . ." Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Compliance and Reporting Guidance, page 10, states in part: ". . . 10. Reporting. All recipients of federal funds must complete financial, performance, and compliance reporting as required and outlined in Part 2 of this guidance. Expenditures may be reported on a cash or accrual basis, as long as the methodology is disclosed and consistently applied. Reporting must be consistent with the definition of expenditures pursuant to 2 CFR 200.1. Your organization should appropriately maintain accounting records for compiling and reporting accurate, compliant financial data, in accordance with appropriate accounting standards and principles. . . ." 31 CFR 35.4(c) states in part: "Reporting and requests for other information. During the period of performance, recipients shall provide to the Secretary . . . periodic reports providing detailed accounting of the uses of funds . . ." Cause A proper system of internal controls, including policies and procedures, was not designed or implemented by management of the County to prevent and detect errors on the P&E report prior to submission. The County incorrectly reported projects that had been appropriated, but not yet obligated, and amounts reported did not always agree to the County's records. The reports submitted were not reviewed by a second person to identify these errors prior to submission. Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, including policies and procedures that provide segregation of duties and additional oversight as needed, the internal control system cannot be capable of effectively preventing, or detecting and correcting, material noncompliance. As such, the County did not accurately report current period obligations and cumulative obligations when filing the P&E report for the period April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024. INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 21 DECATUR COUNTY SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Noncompliance with the provisions of federal regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award could result in the loss of future federal funding to the County. In addition, not meeting the SLFRF reporting requirements increases the likelihood that the public will not have access to transparent and accurate information regarding expenditures of federal awards. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the County design and implement a proper system of internal controls, including policies and procedures that would provide segregation of duties to ensure appropriate reviews, approvals, and oversight of federal reports are taking place. We also recommended the development of policies and procedures to ensure the County provides the Treasury with complete and accurate information for the P&E report. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.