Current through Register Vol. 63, No. 9, September 1, 2024
The following procedures are required for agreed-upon
procedures engagements performed in accordance with ORS 297.435. In performing
procedures and reporting the results:
(1) Total amounts must include all funds and
activities of the municipal corporation.
(a)
The accountant should not report personally identifiable or confidential
information. The accountant may consider including position titles rather than
individual names, where appropriate, and refrain from referencing payment card
numbers or other potentially sensitive information when reporting results of
procedures performed. The accountant should retain information and support as
necessary for their records only.
(b) The type of procedure is noted in
parenthesis after each procedure or procedure category and includes the
following:
(A) I -
Informational/Procedural
(B) A -
Accounting/financial reporting
(C)
IC - Internal Control over either accounting/financial reporting or
compliance
(D) C -
Compliance
(2) OBTAIN AND REPORT GENERAL INFORMATION (I)
(a) Municipal Corporation Name
(b) Fiscal Year-End date (Month XX,
20XX)
(c) Municipal corporation
type and Oregon Statute of formation (for example: Water District, ORS
264)
(3) FINANCIAL
REPORT
(a) Obtain a copy of the municipal
corporation's financial report.
(b)
Threshold Calculation (I): For the purposes of performing these procedures
calculate a threshold where the threshold equals total expenses multiplied by
five percent. Total expenses are the total primary government expenses reported
on the government-wide statement of activities, including depreciation if
applicable to the basis of accounting used. If the municipal corporation
reports only Proprietary funds, expenses for the purposes of calculating the
threshold include operating and non-operating expenses.
(c) Compare amounts reported on the financial
report to the municipal corporation's general ledger/trial balance used to
prepare the financial report plus all the adjustments to the financial report
basis. Inspect any differences greater than the calculated threshold and
inquire of management about the reason for difference(s). The accountants'
report should include a list of the reporting categories (for example:
Materials and Services, or Accounts Payable) and managements' description
justifying the differences noted. (A)
(d) Does the financial report include the
names and addresses of officers of the municipal corporation and members of its
governing body? (A)
(e) If a
special district, does the financial report include the name and address of the
registered agent or the fact that one has not been designated? (OAR
162-040-0095)
(f) Does the
financial report include the statements and schedules required by GAAP as
dictated by GASB and considering the basis of accounting used? (A)
(g) Does the financial report include a
budget to actual schedule for each fund for which budgets are legally required?
(OAR 162-040-0060) (A/C)
(h) Does
the financial report include management's representations regarding compliance
required by rule? (OAR 162-040-0096) (C)
(4) OPERATIONS, POLICIES + PROCEDURES
(a) Obtain and inspect the municipal
corporation's written policies and procedures and determine whether they
address each of the categories listed in subsection (b): (IC)
(b) A municipal corporation's written
policies and procedures should address each of the following topics:
(A) Budgeting
(B) Purchasing
(C) Disbursements
(D) Receipts/collections
(E) Payroll/personnel
(F) Contracting + procurement
(G) Travel and expense
reimbursement
(H) Credit cards
(debit, fuel cards, P-cards)
(I)
Ethics
(J) Debt service
(c) Report Y or N next to each
category, or report N/A if the category does not apply to the municipal
corporation.
(5) PUBLIC
MEETINGS (C)
(a) Public meetings are generally
governed by ORS 192.610 to 192.695.
(b) Obtain access to (or copies of) meeting
minutes of the governing body.
(c)
Haphazardly select two meetings held during the reporting period and perform
the following:
(A) Was required notice
given?
(B) Did the notice include
an agenda?
(C) Was there a process
for public comment?
(D) If a
portion of the meeting was closed to the public, determine that:
(i) before the meeting was closed, the reason
for holding the closed meeting was documented in the meeting minutes and a roll
call vote was taken,
(ii) the
reason for closing the meeting was permitted under statute.
(6)
ACCOUNTING RECORDS
(a) Inquire of management
regarding whether policies and procedures are current and reflect the
operations in place during the reporting period. Report management's response.
(I)
(b) Inquire of the governing
body chairperson whether they receive periodic financial information updating
them on budgeted vs. actual spending and report the chairperson's response.
(I/IC)
(c) Inquire of the governing
body chairperson whether the governing body, or certain members of the
governing body, approves payments and contracts and report the chairperson's
response. If not, report the position title approval authority is delegated to.
(IC)
(7) RELATED PARTIES
(A/IC)
(a) Obtain a list of related parties
(as defined in standards) from management.
(b) Obtain a list of payments during the
reporting period by vendor.
(c)
Determine whether any vendors on the payment listing are related parties, per
management's list.
(d) Recalculate
payments to related parties and report the total paid to each, and the nature
of the payment (for example: goods or services).
(8) PAYMENT CARDS (A/IC)
(a) Obtain from management a complete listing
of all active payment cards (i.e., credit cards, purchase cards) for the fiscal
period, including the name(s) of the person(s) who maintained possession of the
cards.
(b) Haphazardly select one
month and request the monthly statement from each active card (but not more
than 5 cards) and observe whether:
(A) The
card had assessed finance charges or late fees. Report amounts if
applicable.
(B) The monthly
statement was reviewed and approved for payment, in writing by someone other
than the cardholder (for example: initials and date, or electronically
approved, approved as noted in the governing body meeting minutes).
(9) PROPERTY TAXES (A)
(a) If the municipality receives property tax
revenue perform the following:
(b)
Obtain a property tax revenue schedule or turnover report from the
municipality.
(c) Report the
property tax revenue received by type (for example: permanent rate tax, local
option tax).
(d) Trace amounts to
the financial records, such as the trial balance or general ledger.
(10) ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE (A)
(a) For municipal corporations reporting on
an accrual basis of accounting perform the following:
(b) Obtain an accounts receivable aging
report as of the last day of the fiscal year and agree to accounting records
(trial balance).
(c) For all
accounts greater than 90 days, inquire of management whether the amount is
collectible.
(d) Report the balance
that is considered by management to be uncollectable, if any.
(e) If the accountant is unable to agree the
aging report to the accounting records, report the reason(s) why, if
known.
(11) ACCOUNTS
PAYABLE (A)
(a) For municipal corporations
reporting on an accrual basis of accounting perform the following:
(b) Obtain an accounts payable listing and
agree to the accounting records (trial balance).
(c) Obtain a listing of disbursements
subsequent to fiscal year end and haphazardly select a sample of five
transactions (or transactions totaling the calculated threshold, whichever is
less).
(d) Inspect supporting
documentation (invoice, purchase order, contract, etc.) for each sample
transaction and confirm it was reported in the correct period.
(12) FUND BALANCE/NET POSITION (A)
(a) Agree beginning fund balance/net position
to prior year ending fund balance/net position and reconcile any
differences.
(b) If there are any
changes to beginning fund balance/net position, confirm that the financial
report discloses the changes to fund balance/net position and the reason for
the difference (for example: error, implementation of new accounting policy,
change in accounting estimate, change in reporting entity).
(13) REVENUE - CHARGES FOR
SERVICES (A)
(a) If the municipal corporation
reports charges for services perform the following:
(b) Obtain the fee schedule(s).
(c) Haphazardly select a sample of 10
transactions (or transactions totaling the calculated threshold, whichever is
less).
(d) Based on the fee
schedule(s), recalculate the charges for services.
(14) PAYROLL (A)
(a) If the municipal corporation has
employees, perform the following:
(b) Calculate the amount of payroll
expenditures for the reporting period (year) compared to total operating costs.
If payroll expenditures are greater than 20 percent of annual operating cost,
perform the following:
(A) Obtain all payroll
checks or direct deposit records, but not more than five, for one haphazardly
selected month during the reporting period. Compare the names and pay rates to
employee records.
(B) Obtain a
listing of employees and officials employed during the fiscal period.
Haphazardly select five employees or officials (or all, if fewer than five) and
obtain related paid salaries or pay rates and personnel files. Person(s) with
the ability to enter payroll or who approves payroll related payments must be
included in the sample selected.
(i) Agree
annual paid salaries and bonuses to authorized salaries/pay rates in the
personnel files.
(ii) Observe that
individuals selected and receiving pay have a corresponding personnel file and
were employees or officers during the reporting period.
(15) CASH (A/IC/C)
(a) Obtain a listing of all bank accounts
from management.
(b) Obtain
year-end statements and trace ending balances to the year-end bank
reconciliations. If possible, the year-end statement should be viewed via
online account access as confirmation.
(c) If the independent accountant can view
accounts online, vouch that each account listed online was included in the list
of accounts provided by management.
(d) For each depository account, obtain the
year-end bank reconciliation and one additional month's reconciliation,
haphazardly selected from a different quarter, and observe whether:
(A) Reconciliations were prepared and
reviewed within 2 months of the related statement's closing date. If not,
report the date prepared and reason given by management for why the
reconciliation was prepared after two months.
(B) The statement balance traces to the
reconciliation.
(C) The reconciled
book balance traces to the general ledger and the trial balance or summary
schedule.
(D) Mathematically, the
reconciliation and detailed supporting schedules are accurate.
(e) Obtain a check register for
the fiscal year and confirm if there are any gaps in check numbers issued
during the year. Account for all voided checks by obtaining supporting
documentation (for example: voided check).
(f) Inquire of the municipal corporation
whether they are required to maintain any separate bank accounts for a
particular fund, program, loan, grant, or other purpose. If yes, observe
whether the municipal corporation maintains a separate bank account as
required.
(g) If account(s) were
opened or closed during the year (determined by comparing the current listing
to prior years), inspect the minutes of the governing body and observe that the
decision(s) are included. If approval authority is delegated to open and close
accounts and not approved by the governing body, report the position title that
authority is delegated to only if there were new or closed accounts during the
year.
(h) Determine whether
deposits are covered by Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or
National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) insurance, or deposited with
institutions participating in the public funds collateralization pool. (ORS 295
- Depositories of Public Funds and Securities)
(16) DEBT (A/C)
(a) Obtain a complete list of debt (loans,
mortgages, bonds, notes, or other debt instruments) issued during the fiscal
period and management's representations that the listing is complete.
(b) Obtain supporting documentation for all
newly issued debt and carried forward debt.
(c) Reconcile new debt to the list of debt,
and the list of debt to the reported amount(s) on the financial report, as
applicable.
(d) Inquire of
management about any debt covenants, such as a required cash reserve or
coverage ratio. If such covenants exist, report the requirement(s) and report
management's responses on:
(A) how the entity
monitors the requirement(s) and
(B)
whether the municipal corporation met the requirement(s) throughout the
year.
(17)
LOCAL BUDGET LAW (C)
(a) If the municipal
corporation is subject to local budget law (ORS 294) complete the
following:
(b) Adopted Budget
(A) Obtain a copy of the original approved
and adopted budget.
(B) Determine
whether the budget was adopted before the start of the budget year. (ORS
294.408)
(C) Determine whether the
budget committee passed a motion to approve each tax levy and the budget dollar
amount. (ORS 294.428)
(D) Compare
the original adopted budget levy and the budget amount to the approved budget
levy and budget. If there were any changes/differences, determine whether
procedures were followed to make the change. (ORS 294.456)
(E) If resources do not equal requirements,
document which funds are not balanced and report management's response as to
why they are not balanced. Report N/A if the budget is balanced.
(c) Budget Resolution
(A) Obtain a copy of the resolution and
observe whether the municipal corporation has appropriated by organization unit
or program. (ORS 294.388(2))
(B)
Compare the budget resolution to final, actual spending and report whether the
municipal corporation overspent any appropriation category. If a budget
exception exists per ORS 294.338, there is no violation and the accountant
should exclude an overspending comment from the report. (ORS 294.338)
(d) Budget Meetings
(A) Obtain a copy of budget committee meeting
notice(s).
(B) Compare the dates of
published notice to the meeting dates and conclude whether notices were
published timely. (ORS 294.426)
(e) Budget Hearing
(A) Obtain a copy of the notice of budget
hearing (LB-1, ED-1, UR-1 or CC-1).
(B) Observe each statement to ensure the
notices of budget hearing are complete and published timely. (ORS
294.438)
(f) Resolution
Transfer or Supplemental Budget
(A) Obtain a
copy of any resolution transfer or supplemental budget.
(B) Determine whether the transfer or changes
were made prior to overspending appropriation authority. (ORS 294.463 and ORS
294.471)
(18)
FIDELITY BOND + INSURANCE (C)
(a) Obtain from
management a copy of the fidelity or faithful performance bond covering the
principal responsible official (those responsible for receiving and disbursing
moneys on behalf of the municipality).
(b) Observe that the bond was in force during
the fiscal period.
(c) Observe that
the bond was in an amount sufficient as required by ORS 297.435(3).
(19) CONTRACTING + PROCUREMENT
(A/IC/C)
(a) Obtain, from management, a list
of contracts and agreements for professional services, materials and supplies,
leases, and construction activities that were initiated or renewed during the
fiscal period.
(b) For contracts or
agreements over $25,000 or the calculated threshold, whichever is greater,
obtain the procurement documentation and observe whether there is evidence of
obtaining multiple quotes (or bids if required due to the total contract
amount) or documentation as to why sole source selection was reasonable in the
circumstance. (Y/N) If N, document the goods or services purchased and the
total amount of the purchase or contract.
(20) PROGRAMS FUNDED FROM OUTSIDE SOURCES (C)
(a) Inquire of municipal corporation
management and obtain a listing of any grant or similar funding, to identify
any outside sources of funding, and whether there are requirements restricting
the use those funds or related to the timing of spending the funding.
(b) Report on the source(s) and amount(s)
received during the year reported for any source that exceeds the calculated
threshold, or 10 percent of revenues, whichever is greater.
(21) HIGHWAY FUNDS (C) - ORS 294,
368, and 373; Article IX section 3a of the Oregon Constitution
(a) If the municipal corporation spent
highway funds during the year, perform the following (highway funds refer
specifically to revenue from taxes on motor vehicle use and fuel, and road
funds):
(b) Inquire of management
if funds were spent in compliance with the law (as contained in Article IX,
section 3a of the Oregon Constitution and ORS 294, 368, and 373 pertaining to
the use of road funds). (Y/N) If N, report the violation.
(c) Inquire of management whether highway
funds were loaned to any other funds. Y/N, and if Y report whether amounts were
repaid by the end of the following fiscal year. (ORS 294.050)
Statutory/Other Authority: ORS 297
Statutes/Other Implemented: ORS
297.465