[read complete report - pdf]

Audit Objective

Determine whether the Ridge Fire District (District) Board of Fire Commissioners (Board) provided adequate oversight of the Treasurer’s fiscal duties.

Key Findings

The Board did not provide adequate oversight of the Treasurer’s fiscal duties and could not explain why the bank balances presented on the Treasurer’s reports for three consecutive months contained discrepancies totaling $2.96 million. We also found:

• Adequate monthly reports were not prepared and shared with the Board.
• Bank reconciliations were not always accurate or timely, resulting in a $10,244 discrepancy between the District’s accounting records and bank statements.
• The budget was not entered into the accounting software. Therefore, the Board did not properly monitor the budget which contributed to the District exceeding its 2020 appropriations by $77,968.

Key Recommendations

• Maintain adequate and complete accounting records and provide Board with complete and accurate monthly reports.
• Board should review monthly bank reconciliations that are completed accurately and timely.

District officials agreed with our recommendations and indicated they will take corrective action.