Caldwell County

Criteria - A primary control over cash is the timely and accurate reconciliation of all cash accounts. Outstanding items in the closed pooled cash account were not cleared timely. Reconciliations of the County’s cash accounts is a requirement of Texas Local Government Code, Sec. 113.008, Reconciliation of Depository Accounts. Additionally, interest earned on investment accounts are not being recorded monthly.

Condition – Claim on cash did not reconcile to the pooled cash account by a material degree until corrections were made during the audit. Interest earned on investment accounts was not recorded until the audit.

Effect – Inaccurate financial information was provided to Commissioners’ Court as the bank reconciliations have large outstanding items and not all revenue was recorded.

Cause – The former Treasurer was unable to reconcile the bank accounts on a timely basis which caused the issue to persist into the current fiscal year.

Recommendation - The County Treasurer and assistants should receive training in reconciling bank accounts (with continued support from outside professionals, if necessary), until all bank accounts are reconciled on a timely basis and tie to the general ledger.

Criteria - A primary control over accurate financial statements is the reconciliation of the subsidiary accounts to the general ledger.

Condition – The County Auditor is charged with maintaining the records of the County’s financial transactions including the general ledger. We noted numerous balance sheet accounts are not being reconciled to the supporting subsidiary ledgers and accounts. This includes accruals such as receivables and liabilities, as well as, interfund transactions including due to/from and transfers.

Effect – Inaccurate financial information was provided to Commissioners’ Court. Additionally, the balance sheet accounts were either over or understated.

Cause – Subsidiary Ledgers are not being compared to the corresponding general ledger accounts in the accounting software system by the County Auditor’s Office.

Recommendation – Supporting subsidiary ledgers and accounts should be prepared by the appropriate department/personnel, such as the elected official, purchasing agent or grant coordinator and then audited and reconciled to the general ledger by the County Auditor’s office. There has been improvement in this area in the past year.

Criteria - A primary control over cash is the timely and accurate reconciliation of all cash accounts. The County was unable to reconcile the claim on cash for the operating account with the pooled cash fund. Additionally outstanding items in the closed pooled cash account were not cleared timely. Reconciliations of the County’s cash accounts which is a requirement of Texas Local Government Code, Sec. 113.008, Reconciliation of Depository Accounts.

Condition – Claim on cash did not reconcile to the pooled cash account by a material degree until corrections were made during the audit.

Effect – Inaccurate financial information was provided to Commissioners’ Court as the bank reconciliations were not performed timely.

Cause – The former Treasurer was unable to reconcile the bank accounts on a timely basis which caused the issue to persist into the current fiscal year.

Recommendation - The County Treasurer and assistants should receive training in reconciling bank accounts (with continued support from outside professionals, if necessary), until all bank accounts are reconciled on a timely basis and tie to the general ledger.

Criteria - A primary control over accurate financial statements is the timely and accurate recording of each receipt of revenue to the appropriate revenue account within the accounting software.

Condition – The Treasurer’s Deputy Clerk posts the daily receipts to a general receivable account in the accounting software rather than the appropriate revenue account in the accounting software. The County Auditor’s department then allocates the revenue to the appropriate account by journal entry.

Effect – Inaccurate financial information was provided to Commissioners’ Court as revenue was recorded to the accounts receivable account rather than the revenue account in the accounting software system. Therefore, revenues were understated throughout the year.

Cause – The Treasurer is recording the revenue as a receivable in the balance sheet account rather than a revenue in the Statement of Revenues and Expenditures. The County Auditor is then correcting the entries at a later date.

Recommendation – The County Treasurer should be posting all revenues to the appropriate accounts on the Statement of Revenues and Expenditures. They should only post to the Balance Sheet accounts when transactions are directly related. Segregation of duties should be improved and staff should be appropriately trained to avoid excessive journal entries. The auditor’s office should be auditing these transactions not performing them. The County Treasurer and assistants should receive additional training in recording revenue (with continued support from outside professionals, if necessary), until revenue is recorded correctly within the software system.

Criteria –The Auditor’s Office should not be able to create new vendors, and set up new employees

Condition – Multiple employees at the auditor’s Office can change their permissions in the software that would allow them to set up or change vendor information, create and then approve vendor payments, set up new employees, change employees direct deposit information and approve payroll.

Effect – Misappropriation could occur as well as inaccurate information provided in the financial statements.

Cause – The accounting system has been set up where multiple employees in the Auditor’s Office have permissions that they should not.

Recommendation – The County should contact IT to relinquish certain permissions from employees to ensure reestablish proper segregation of duties between the Treasurer’s Office and the Auditors.

Criteria - A primary control over accurate financial statements is the reconciliation of the subsidiary accounts to the general ledger.

Condition – The County Auditor is charged with maintaining the records of the County’s financial transactions including the general ledger. We noted numerous balance sheet accounts are not being reconciled to the supporting subsidiary ledgers and accounts. This includes accruals such as receivables and liabilities, as well as, interfund transactions including due to/from and transfers.

Effect – Inaccurate financial information was provided to Commissioners’ Court. Additionally, the balance sheet accounts were either over or understated.

Cause – Subsidiary Ledgers are not being compared to the corresponding general ledger accounts in the accounting software system by the County Auditor’s Office.

Recommendation – Supporting subsidiary ledgers and accounts should be prepared by the appropriate department/personnel, such as the elected official, purchasing agent or grant coordinator and then audited and reconciled to the general ledger by the County Auditor’s office. There has been improvement in this area in the past year.