The Louisiana Naval War Memorial Commission identified several issues with their financial controls and procedures. They lacked timely reconciliation of accounts, adequate controls over disbursements and capital assets, and proper segregation of financial duties. A new Executive Director implemented policies to address these issues, including reconciling accounts, ensuring documentation for disbursements, conducting an inventory of capital assets, and separating financial authorization, recording and custodial functions among employees.
The Louisiana Naval War Memorial Commission identified several issues with their financial controls and procedures. They lacked timely reconciliation of accounts, adequate controls over disbursements and capital assets, and proper segregation of financial duties. A new Executive Director implemented policies to address these issues, including reconciling accounts, ensuring documentation for disbursements, conducting an inventory of capital assets, and separating financial authorization, recording and custodial functions among employees.
The Louisiana Naval War Memorial Commission identified several issues with their financial controls and procedures. They lacked timely reconciliation of accounts, adequate controls over disbursements and capital assets, and proper segregation of financial duties. A new Executive Director implemented policies to address these issues, including reconciling accounts, ensuring documentation for disbursements, conducting an inventory of capital assets, and separating financial authorization, recording and custodial functions among employees.
The Louisiana Naval War Memorial Commission identified several issues with their financial controls and procedures. They lacked timely reconciliation of accounts, adequate controls over disbursements and capital assets, and proper segregation of financial duties. A new Executive Director implemented policies to address these issues, including reconciling accounts, ensuring documentation for disbursements, conducting an inventory of capital assets, and separating financial authorization, recording and custodial functions among employees.
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Louisiana Naval War Memorial Commission
Comprehensive Corrective Action Plan
Effect: Management, in the normal course of performing their assigned functions, cannot prevent or detect misstatements on a timely basis. As a result of there being no supporting schedules/reconciliations, the scope of our work was not sufficient to enable us to express an opinion on the financial statements. In addition, a prior period adjustment was necessary to decrease liabilities and increase beginning net position.
Recommendation: We recommend the Commission implement policies and procedures for the timely reconciliation of general ledger accounts and capture all transactions in a timely manner.
Managements Response: Finding Number: 2013-1 General Ledger Reconciliation
We concur with this finding. The Louisiana Naval War Memorial Commission, USS KIDD Veterans Memorial & Museum acknowledges that control procedures over timely general account reconciliations were not in place and as such no determination could be made as to whether or not the general ledger reflected all accounting transactions for the fiscal year ending Dec. 31, 2013.
A new Executive Director took over on Dec. 14, 2013 and new procedures have been implemented to capture all transactions in a timely manner. A formal review of all policies and procedures has already been performed and several deficiencies have been identified. Managements policies and procedures will ensure that the reconciliation of general ledger accounts occurs on a timely basis. The inventory and capital assets will be reviewed on an annual basis moving forward. Prepaid insurance will not be an issue for now but will be reviewed on an annual basis in the future. The accrued expenses and related party transactions will be reviewed by Executive Director and the Commission on a quarterly basis and will be tied to respective quarterly reports that are filed.
Contact Persons: Elizabeth Alejandra Juan, USS KIDD Executive Director (225) 342-1942, Ext. 12. Consuelo Davis, USS KIDD Business Manager, (225) 342-1942, Ext. 11. Joe Jenkins, Louisiana Naval War Memorial Commission Chairman, (225) 603-3874. Karen St. Cyr, Louisiana Naval War Memorial Commissioner Treasurer, (225) 281-2556. Jude Guerin, Apple Guerin CPA, (225) 767-1020.
Effect: The inadequate controls over disbursement of funds and lack of supporting documentation resulted in our inability to perform sufficient work to enable us to express an opinion on the financial statements.
Recommendation: The Commission should implement adequate controls over disbursements to help ensure that proper supporting documents are maintained.
Managements Response: Finding Number: 2013-2 Controls Over Disbursements
We concur with this finding. The Louisiana Naval War Memorial Commission, USS KIDD Veterans Memorial & Museum acknowledges that proper controls over disbursement procedures were not in place and as such no assurance could be provided that said expenditures were legitimate business expenses.
A new Executive Director took over on Dec. 14, 2013 and a formal review of all policies and procedures has been performed. Management has implemented policies whereby supporting disbursement documentation is maintained and reviewed by Business Manager, in some cases Gift Shop Manager, and the Executive Director prior to payment. Invoices and receipts are kept on file to legitimize all expenditures.
Management will also implement a policy whereby no personal expenses shall be incurred by employees when conducting business purchases. Management will scrutinize all disbursements to ensure this policy is maintained.
Contact Persons: Elizabeth Alejandra Juan, USS KIDD Executive Director (225) 342-1942, Ext. 12. Consuelo Davis, USS KIDD Business Manager, (225) 342-1942, Ext. 11. Janette Eby, USS KIDD Gift Shop Manager, (225) 342-1942, Ext. 16. Joe Jenkins, Louisiana Naval War Memorial Commission Chairman, (225) 603-3874. Karen St. Cyr, Louisiana Naval War Memorial Commissioner Treasurer, (225) 281-2556. Jude Guerin, Apple Guerin CPA, (225) 767-1020.
Effect: Noncompliance with LRS 39:324 and inadequate controls over capital assets.
Recommendation: We recommend that the Commission conduct an annual inventory of its capital assets and begin tagging those assets. After that is completed, they need to reconcile that schedule to the recorded value of capital assets on the financial statements.
Managements Response: Finding Number: 2013-3 Inadequate Controls Over Capital Assets
We concur with this finding. The Louisiana Naval War Memorial Commission, USS KIDD Veterans Memorial & Museum acknowledges that a complete inventory of all capital assets has not been conducted and that a tagging process to better control those physical assets had not been implemented. As such, the Commission was unable to provide a listing of assets to support the recorded value of capital assets and related accumulated depreciation.
A new Executive Director took over on Dec. 14, 2013 and discovered that there is no record of a comprehensive inventory of all capital assets on file. Management will perform an inventory of all capital assets and tag each inventoried asset to indicate ownership. Management will then use this to prepare an up-to-date listing of all capital assets and related accumulated depreciation. This process will take months to complete but the goal is to reconcile this schedule to the recorded value of capital assets on the financial statements by the fiscal year ending December 31, 2014. Management is aware that this process may lead to the finding of additional liabilities as items loaned to the museum may have been given away/loaned out without proper documentation. Additionally, our current financial crisis will make it difficult to pay a curator to properly assess and document items worth over $1,000.00. Management has agreed to close both the ship and museum to the public every Monday for the rest of the year in order to expedite this process.
Contact Persons: Elizabeth Alejandra Juan, USS KIDD Executive Director (225) 342-1942, Ext. 12. Tim NesSmith, USS KIDD Educational Outreach Coordinator, (225) 342-1942, Ext. 13. Consuelo Davis, USS KIDD Museum Special Projects, (225) 342-1942, Ext. 11. Janette Eby, USS KIDD Gift Shop Manager, (225) 342-1942, Ext. 16. Joe Jenkins, Louisiana Naval War Memorial Commission Chairman, (225) 603-3874. Jude Guerin, Apple Guerin CPA, (225) 767-1020.
Effect: Noncompliance with Article VII, Section 14, of the Louisiana State Constitution of 1974.
Recommendation: We recommend that the Commission discontinue this practice.
Managements Response: Finding Number: 2013-4 Prohibited Donation of Public Funds
We concur with this finding. The Louisiana Naval War Memorial Commission, USS KIDD Veterans Memorial & Museum was unaware that a full-time employee was repeatedly being paid in lieu of vacation and acknowledges that this practice was in noncompliance with Article VII, Section 14, of the Louisiana State Constitution of 1974.
A new Executive Director took over on Dec. 14, 2013 and was made aware of this issue of noncompliance. This practice was immediately discontinued.
The Executive Director and Business Manger now work hand-in-hand to ensure that no such noncompliance issues are ever of concern to the Commission moving forward.
Contact Persons: Elizabeth Alejandra Juan, USS KIDD Executive Director (225) 342-1942, Ext. 12. Consuelo Davis, USS KIDD Business Manager, (225) 342-1942, Ext. 11. Joe Jenkins, Louisiana Naval War Memorial Commission Chairman, (225) 603-3874. Jude Guerin, Apple Guerin CPA, (225) 767-1020.
Effect: Management, in the normal course of performing their assigned functions cannot prevent or detect misstatements on a timely basis.
Recommendation: The Commission should implement adequate controls over cash disbursements and cash receipts to ensure proper segregation of duties is achieved.
Managements Response: Finding Number: 2013-5 Inadequate Segregation of Duties
We concur with this finding. The Louisiana Naval War Memorial Commission, USS KIDD Veterans Memorial & Museum acknowledges that the former Executive Directors performed approval, custody and recording functions for cash disbursements and cash receipts leading to the lack of prevention or detection of misstatements on a timely basis. A new Executive Director took over on Dec. 14, 2013 and steps have been taken so that the segregation of authorization, recording, and custodial functions be separated among different employees. Gift Shop Manager now ensures that packing slips are attached to all Gift Shop invoices. All employees must receive written approval for non-standard purchase requests from Executive Director prior to ordering items. Business Manager ensures that supporting documentation is attached to all invoices prior to Executive Director making any payments. Business Manager makes all bank deposits and Executive Director ensures that they are reconciled on a weekly basis through the use of online banking system. An internal policy is in place that ensures that any check written over $2,000 has the signature of both the Executive Director and the Commission Chairman or his/her designee. All payroll checks and reimbursements to Executive Director are now signed by Commission Chairman and/or his designee. All of these new policies and procedures have greatly reduced the risk of errors or fraud by members of this organization. Contact Persons: Elizabeth Alejandra Juan, USS KIDD Executive Director (225) 342-1942, Ext. 12. Consuelo Davis, USS KIDD Museum Special Projects, (225) 342-1942, Ext. 11. Janette Eby, USS KIDD Gift Shop Manager, (225) 342-1942, Ext. 16. Joe Jenkins, Louisiana Naval War Memorial Commission Chairman, (225) 603-3874. Jude Guerin, Apple Guerin CPA, (225) 767-1020.