Finding 584660 (2023-004)

Material Weakness
Requirement
A
Questioned Costs
$1
Year
2023
Accepted
2024-01-10
Audit: 10852
Organization: City of Albemarle (NC)

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: Inadequate internal controls led to missing payroll documentation, impacting compliance with federal requirements.
  • Impacted Requirements: Non-compliance with 2 CFR 200 and 24 CFR section 990 regarding allowable costs and payroll verification.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Enhance internal controls and improve the disaster recovery plan to prevent future documentation loss.

Finding Text

Findings and Questioned Costs Related to the Audit of Federal Awards (continued) Finding: 2023‐004 U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development Program Name: Public Housing Operating Fund AL Number: 14.850 Material Non-Compliance Material Weakness, Activities Allowed or Unallowed, Allowable Costs/Cost Principles Criteria: In accordance with 2 CFR 200, management should have an adequate system of internal control procedures in place to ensure that activities allowed and allowable cost policies are implemented and functioning as intended. Management must monitor activities under federal awards to assure compliance with federal requirements. Management should have an adequate system of internal control procedures in place to properly review and assess the eligibility of payroll costs to ensure the accuracy of the payroll costs charged is within program requirements. In accordance with 24 CRF section 990, verification of accuracy of information used in determining payroll costs to be charged to the program should be maintained. Condition: Due to a network event, the disaster recovery plan was not sufficient to recover documents on a timely manner. As a result, the approved payroll time sheets were not recovered. Context: Of the 1,540 expenditures during the current year valued at $749,487, we examined 40 (valued at $134,796) and determined that 7 (18% valued at $13,369) expenditures did not have proper documentation to support accuracy of payroll costs. Effect: Salaries allocated to the program did not have approved time sheets to verify the accuracy of the hours charged. Cause: Due to the network event, the timesheets were not recovered. Questioned Cost: In accordance with 2 CFR 200, auditors are required to report known questioned costs when likely questioned costs are greater than $25,000. Even though the sample results only identified $13,369 in known questioned costs, if tests were extended to the entire population, questioned costs could exceed $25,000. Recommendation: Management should strengthen internal control procedures over activities allowed and allowable costs and strengthen the disaster recovery plan. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: The City agrees with this finding. Please refer to the Corrective Action Plan section of this report.

Categories

Questioned Costs Allowable Costs / Cost Principles Eligibility HUD Housing Programs Material Weakness

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 8216 2023-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 8217 2023-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 8218 2023-004
    Material Weakness
  • 584658 2023-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 584659 2023-003
    Material Weakness Repeat

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
21.027 Covid-19 Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds $3.54M
14.871 Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers $996,704
14.850 Public and Indian Housing $749,487
66.458 Capitalization Grants for Clean Water State Revolving Funds $258,950
14.872 Public Housing Capital Fund $74,810