CITY OF SOUTH AMBOYLocal Government

Finding 2024-001: MATERIAL WEAKNESS IN INTERNAL CONTROL AND COMPLIANCE REPORTING CRITERIA In accordance with the Federal Uniform Guidance, the City is required to submit quarterly and annual reports that are in agreement with the amounts reflected in the City’s financial statements. CONDITION: Our audit disclosed that the City filed for and received reimbursements for the City’s ferry terminal site improvements project utilizing the same vendor invoices under both the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds grant and/or State of New Jersey Department of Transportation federal and state transportation grants. QUESTIONED COSTS : None through December 31, 2024 for the actual expenditures in the amount of $4,541,234. Documentation for costs incurred for the balance of the grant drawdowns in advance in the amount of $10,358,766 will be submitted to the grantor agency as costs are incurred. These costs will be subject to audit in the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2026. CONTEXT: Reimbursements were filed and received in advance from the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds in the amount $10,358,766 as a result of the same vendor invoices being provided to two grantor agencies. The City did reflect these invoices as expended against the respective New Jersey Department of Transportation federal and state awarded grants CAUSE: Both the City's consulting engineer and the City's administrator requested grant reimbursements utilizing the same vendor invoices. EFFECT: The City has multiple federal and state grants to fully fund the construction of ferry terminal site improvements. The City filed for and received reimbursements for the same expenditures under three different grants administered by two different agencies. The City is eligible to receive the reimbursements under the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds grant for subsequent expenditures made by the City for additional eligible expenses and certain costs eligible for reimbursement under the federal and/or state transportation grants. Therefore, eventually allowable costs must be submitted under the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds grant in 2025 to support the advanced reimbursements. RECOMMENDATION: The City should develop and implement internal controls over grant reimbursement requests to ensure that grant funded expenditures are reported and reimbursements are requested for only the appropriate grant. MANAGEMENT'S RESPONSE: Management has reviewed this finding and has indicated that corrective action will be taken.