PUBLIC NOTICE
In accordance with Section 77-213, Miss. Code Ann. (1972), notice is hereby given that copy of the 2018 audit of Newton County is on file in the Chancery Clerk’s office of Newton County.
In accordance with Section 7-7-221 Miss. Code Ann. (1972) , the following synopsis of the governmental funds of Newton County audit for fiscal year ending 9-30-18 is provided in the format prescribed by the State Auditor:
Revenues: 10-01-17 to 9-30-18
$10,709,423
Expenditures: 10-01-17 to 9-30-18
$11,026,726
Cash and investments at 9-30-18
$4,568,616
A copy of the audit report containing all findings and recommendations as well as exceptions, if applicable, can be obtained for $15.00 or, if available on the OSA website, $25.00, by writing to the Office of the State Auditor, Post Office Box 956, Jackson, MS 39205. The website address is: www.osa.state.ms.us
A copy of the audit report is also on file and available for public inspection at the Kemper Newton library.
In accordance with Section 31-7-115, Miss. Code Ann. (1972), the audit report of the county purchase clerk and inventory control clerk is published:
STATE OF MISSISSIPPI
OFFICE OF THE STATE AUDITOR
SHAD WHITE
AUDITOR
INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANT’S REPORT ON CENTRAL PURCHASING SYSTEM, INVENTORY CONTROL SYSTEM AND PURCHASE CLERK SCHEDULES
(AS REQUIRED BY SECTION 31-7-115, MISS.CODE ANN. (1972)
Members of the Board of Supervisors
Newton County, Mississippi
We have examined Newton County, Mississippi’s (the county) compliance with establishing and maintaining a central purchasing system and inventory control system in accordance with Sections 31-7-101 through 31-7-127, Miss. Code Ann. (1972) and compliance with the purchasing requirements in accordance with the bid requirements of Section 31-7-13, Miss. Code Ann. (1972) during the year ended September 30, 2018. The Board of Supervisors of Newton County, Mississippi is responsible for the County’s compliance with those requirements. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the County’s compliance based on our examination.
Our examination was conducted in accordance with attestation standards established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and, accordingly, included examining, on a test basis, evidence about the County’s compliance with those requirements and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe our examination provides a reasonable basis for our opinion. Our examination does not provide a legal determination on the County’s compliance with specified requirements. The Board of Supervisors of Newton County, Mississippi, has established centralized purchasing for all funds of the County and has established an inventory control system. The objective of the central purchasing system is to provide reasonable, but not absolute, assurance that purchases are executed in accordance with state law.
Because of inherent limitations in any central purchasing system and inventory system, errors or irregularities may occur and not be detected. Also, projection of any current evaluation of the system to future periods is subject to the risk that procedures may become inadequate because of changes in conditions or that the degree of compliance with the procedures may deteriorate.
The results of our audit procedures disclosed certain instances of noncompliance with the aforementioned code sections. These instances of noncompliance were considered in forming our opinion on compliance. Our findings and recommendations and your responses are disclosed below.
Inventory Control Clerk
1. Inventory reports should be filed with the Office of the State Auditor each fiscal year.
Repeat finding - Yes
Criteria - Section 31-7-107, Miss. Code Ann. (1972), requires inventory reports to be filed with the Board of Supervisors, in triplicate with copies forwarded to the Office of the State Auditor no later than October 15th of each fiscal year.
Condition - As reported in the prior two years’ audit reports, the required inventory reports prepared by the Inventory Control Clerk were not filed timely with the Office of the State Auditor for fiscal year 2018 until October 26, 2018.
Post Office Box 956
Jackson, Mississippi 39205
(601) 576-2800
FAX (601) 576-2650
www.osa.state.ms.us
Cause - Failure to prepare and file annual report in a timely manner
Effect - Failure to submit the annual reports timely increases the possibility of the loss or misappropriation of public funds and could result in the reporting of inaccurate amounts.
Recommendation - The Inventory Control Clerk should prepare inventory reports and file with the Board of Supervisors and forward copies to the Office of the State Auditor no late than October 15th of each fiscal year.
View of Responsible Official - Reporting will be done in a timely fashion from now on.
2. Controls over capital assets should be strengthened
Repeat Finding - Yes
Criteria - An effective system of internal control over capital l assets ensures that capital assets are reported in the correct categories at the correct amounts.
Condition - As reported in the prior eight years’ audit reports, weak internal controls existed over capital assets. We noted that the beginning balances on the capital asset listing provided by the Inventory Control Clerk for Government Activities did not agree to the prior year ending amounts included in the audit report.
Cause - County failed to maintain an effective inventory control system
Effect - The failure to maintain an effective inventory control system could result in the reporting of inaccurate amounts and increases the possibility of the loss or misappropriation of public funds.
Recommendation - The Inventory Control Clerk should ensure that all capital asset additions and deletions are accurately managed each year.
Views of Responsible Official - This will be corrected for the FY 2019 audit.
In our opinion, except for the noncompliance referred to in the preceding paragraph, Newton County, Mississippi, complied, in all material respects, with state laws governing central purchasing, inventory and bid requirements for the year ended September 30, 2018.
The accompanying schedules of (1) Purchases Not Made from the Lowest Bidder, (2) Emergency Purchases and (3) Purchases Made Noncompetively from a Sole Source are presented in accordance with Section 31-7-115, Miss. Code Ann. (1972). The information contained on these schedules has been subjected to procedures performed in connection with our aforementioned examination of the purchasing system and, in our opinion, is fairly presented when considered in relation to that examination.
Newton County’s responses to the findings included in this report were not audited, and accordingly, we express no opinion on them.
This report is intended for use in evaluating the central purchasing system and inventory control system of Newton County, Mississippi, and is not intended to be and should not be relied upon for any other purpose. However, this report is a matter of public record and its distribution is not limited.
JOE E. MCKNIGHT
Director, County Audit Section
May 26, 2020
Newton County
Schedule 1:
Schedule of Purchases From Other Than the Lowest Bidder
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018
Our tests did not identify any purchases from other than the lowest bidder.
Newton County
Schedule 2:
Schedule of Emergency Purchases
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018
Our tests did not identify any emergency purchases.
Newton County
Schedule 3:
Schedule of Purchases Made
Noncompetively From a Sole Source
For the year ending September 30, 2018
Our tests did not identify any purchases made noncompetively from a sole source.
Publish Date: December 23
