Meeting_Body
INDEPENDENT CITIZEN'S ADVISORY AND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE
MARCH 5, 2025
Subject
SUBJECT: PROPOSITION A AND PROPOSITION C AUDITS OF FISCAL YEAR 2024
Action
ACTION: RECEIVE AND FILE
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
RECEIVE AND FILE the Independent Auditor's Report on:
A. Schedules of Revenues and Expenditures for Proposition A and Proposition C Special Revenue Funds for the Fiscal Year ended June 30, 2024, completed by BCA Watson Rice, LLP (BCA);
B. Compliance with Requirements Applicable to Proposition A and Proposition C Ordinances and Local Return Guidelines for the Fiscal Year ended June 30, 2024, completed by Vasquez & Company, LLP (Vasquez); and
C. Compliance with Requirements Applicable to Proposition A and Proposition C Ordinances and Local Return Guidelines for the Fiscal Year ended June 30, 2024, completed by Simpson & Simpson, CPAs (Simpson).
Issue
ISSUE
The oversight process requires that an annual audit be conducted six months after the end of the fiscal year to determine compliance with the provisions of the Ordinances related to the receipt and expenditure of sales tax revenues during the fiscal year. The audit must be provided to the Oversight Committee so that the Oversight Committee can determine whether the LACMTA and local subrecipients have complied with the Proposition A and Proposition C requirements.
Background
BACKGROUND
In November of 1998, Los Angeles County voters passed the MTA Reform and Accountability Act of 1998 (Act). The Act requires the completion of an independent audit to determine compliance by LACMTA with the provisions of Propositions A and C since the effective dates of each ordinance through June 30, 1998, and then annual audits thereafter.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
The following summarizes the independent auditor's report on Schedules of Revenues and Expenditures for Proposition A and Proposition C Special Revenue Funds:
To create a more efficient audit process, Management Audit Services (MAS) contracted with BCA to perform the independent audit of the LACMTA, as required by the Ordinances and the MTA Reform and Accountability Act of 1998. BCA conducted the audit in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America and the standards applicable to financial audits contained in Government Auditing Standards, issued by the Comptroller General of the United States. Those standards require that BCA plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the Schedules of Proposition A and Proposition C Revenues and Expenditures (Schedules) are free of material misstatement.
The auditors found that the Schedules referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the Proposition A and Proposition C Revenues and Expenditures of LACMTA for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The auditors also found that LACMTA complied, in all material respects, with the requirements of the Ordinances and the MTA Reform and Accountability Act of 1998 for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024.
The following summarizes the independent auditor's reports on Compliance with Requirements Applicable to Proposition A and Proposition C Ordinances and Proposition A and Proposition C Local Return Guidelines:
MAS contracted with two firms, Vasquez and Simpson, to conduct the audits of Proposition A and Proposition C sales tax revenues used by the County of Los Angeles (County) as well as the 88 cities (Cities). The firms conducted the audits of compliance in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America and the standards applicable to financial audits contained in Government Auditing Standards, issued by the Comptroller General of the United States. Those standards require that the independent auditors plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether noncompliance with the requirements in the Ordinances and the Proposition A and Proposition C Local Return Guidelines which could have a direct and material effect on the Proposition A and Proposition C Local Return programs occurred.
Vasquez concluded that the County and the 39 Cities complied in all material respects, with the requirements in the Ordinances and the Proposition A and Proposition C Local Return Guidelines that are applicable to the Proposition A and Proposition C Local Return programs for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024. Vasquez found 15 instances of noncompliance, which are summarized in Schedule 2 of Attachment B.
Simpson concluded that the 49 Cities complied, in all material respects, with the requirements in the Ordinances and the Proposition A and Proposition C Local Return Guidelines that are applicable to the Proposition A and Proposition C Local Return programs for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024. Simpson found 18 instances of noncompliance, which are summarized in Schedule 2 of Attachment C.
Equity_Platform
EQUITY PLATFORM
The Proposition A and Proposition C Independent Auditor Reports summarized in this report support compliance with the Ordinances and Guidelines, as well as assist program managers in effectively managing and administering the Proposition A and Proposition C-funded programs that serve all communities throughout the County. There are no known equity impacts or concerns from the audit services conducted to complete the annual audits.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
As required by the Act, a public hearing will be scheduled to receive public input on the results of the annual audit process and any findings.
Attachments
ATTACHMENT(S)
A. Schedules of Revenues and Expenditures for Proposition A and Proposition C Special Revenue Funds (BCA)
B. Report on Compliance with Requirements Applicable to Proposition A and Proposition C Ordinances and Proposition A and Proposition C Local Return Guidelines (Vasquez)
C. Report on Compliance with Requirements Applicable to Proposition A and Proposition C Ordinances and Proposition A and Proposition C Local Return Guidelines (Simpson and Simpson)
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Kimberly Houston, Deputy Chief Auditor, (213) 922-4720
Lauren Choi, Senior Director, Audit, (213) 922-3926
Monica Del Toro, Senior Manager, Audit, (213) 922-7494
Reviewed_by
Reviewed by: Sharon Gookin, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, (213) 418-3101