City of Signal Hill 04/09

CITY OF SIGNAL HILL Audit Report SPECIAL GAS TAX STREET IMPROVEMENT FUND July 1, 2007, through June 30, 2008 TRAFFIC CONGESTION RELIEF FUND ALLOCATIONS July 1, 2002, through June 30, 2008 J C OHN HIANG California State Controller April 2009 April 10, 2009 The Honorable Michael Noll Mayor of the City of Signal Hill 2175 Cherry Avenue Signal Hill, CA 90755-3799 Dear Mayor Noll: The State Controller’s Office audited the City of Signal Hill’s Special Gas Tax Street Improvement Fund for the period of July 1, 2007, through June 30, 2008. We also audited the Traffic Congestion Relief Fund (TCRF) allocations recorded in the Special Gas Tax Street Improvement Fund for the period of July 1, 2002, through June 30, 2008. Our audit disclosed that the city accounted for and expended its Special Gas Tax Street Improvement Fund—highway users tax and TCRF allocations—in compliance with requirements, and that no adjustment to the fund is required. If you have any questions, please contact Steven Mar, Chief, Local Government Audits Bureau, at (916) 324-7226. Sincerely, Original signed by JEFFREY V. BROWNFIELD Chief, Division of Audits JVB/vb City of Signal Hill Special Gas Tax Street Improvement Fund and Traffic Congestion Relief Fund Allocations Contents Audit Report Summary ............................................................................................................................ 1 Background ........................................................................................................................ 1 Objective, Scope, and Methodology ................................................................................. 1 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................... 2 Follow-Up on Prior Audit Findings ................................................................................. 2 Views of Responsible Official ........................................................................................... 2 Restricted Use .................................................................................................................... 2 Schedule 1—Reconciliation of Fund Balance ...................................................................... 3 City of Signal Hill Special Gas Tax Street Improvement Fund and Traffic Congestion Relief Fund Allocations Audit Report Summary The State Controller’s Office audited the City of Signal Hill’s Special Gas Tax Street Improvement Fund for the period of July 1, 2007, through June 30, 2008. We also audited the Traffic Congestion Relief Fund (TCRF) allocations recorded in the Special Gas Tax Street Improvement Fund for the period of July 1, 2002, through June 30, 2008. Our audit disclosed that the city accounted for and expended its Special Gas Tax Street Improvement Fund—highway users tax and TCRF allocations—in compliance with requirements, and that no adjustment to the fund is required. Background The State apportions funds monthly from the highway users tax account in the transportation tax fund to cities and counties for the construction, maintenance, and operation of local streets and roads. The highway users taxes derive from state taxes on the sale of motor vehicle fuels. In accordance with Article XIX of the California Constitution and Streets and Highways Code section 2101, a city must deposit all apportionments of highway users taxes in its Special Gas Tax Street Improvement Fund. A city must expend gas tax funds only for street-related purposes. We conducted our audit of the city’s Special Gas Tax Street Improvement Fund under the authority of Government Code section 12410. Government Code section 14556.5 created a Traffic Congestion Relief Fund in the State Treasury for allocating funds quarterly to cities and counties for street or road maintenance, reconstruction, and storm damage repair. Cities must deposit funds received into the city account designated for the receipt of state funds allocated for transportation purposes. The city recorded its TCRF allocations in the Special Gas Tax Street Improvement Fund. We conducted our audit of the city’s TCRF allocations under the authority of Revenue and Taxation Code section 7104. Objective, Scope, Our audit objective was to determine whether the city accounted for and expended the Special Gas Tax Street Improvement Fund in compliance and Methodology with Article XIX of the California Constitution, the Streets and Highways Code, and Revenue and Taxation Code section 7104. To meet the audit objective, we determined whether the city: Properly deposited highway users tax apportionments and other appropriate revenues in the Special Gas Tax Street Improvement Fund; Expended funds exclusively for authorized street-related purposes; and Made available unexpended funds for future expenditures. We conducted this performance audit in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain sufficient, appropriate evidence to -1- City of Signal Hill Special Gas Tax Street Improvement Fund and Traffic Congestion Relief Fund Allocations provide a reasonable basis for our findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives. We believe that the evidence obtained provides a reasonable basis for our findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives. We did not audit the city’s financial statements. We limited our audit scope to planning and performing the audit procedures necessary to obtain reasonable assurance that the city accounted for and expended the Special Gas Tax Street Improvement Fund in accordance with the requirements of the Streets and Highways Code and Revenue and Taxation Code section 7104. Accordingly, we examined transactions, on a test basis, to determine whether the city expended funds for street purposes. We considered the city’s internal controls only to the extent necessary to plan the audit. Conclusion Our audit disclosed that the City of Signal Hill accounted for and expended its Special Gas Tax Street Improvement Fund in compliance with Article XIX of the California Constitution, the Streets and Highways Code, and Revenue and Taxation Code section 7104 for the period of July 1, 2007, through June 30, 2008. Our audit also disclosed that the city accounted for and expended its TCRF allocations recorded in the Special Gas Tax Street Improvement Fund in compliance with Article XIX of the California Constitution and the Streets and Highways Code, for the period of July 1, 2002, through June 30, 2008. Follow-Up on Prior Our prior audit report, issued on June 26, 2003, disclosed no findings. Audit Findings Views of We discussed the audit results with city representatives during an exit conference on February 19, 2009. Maida Alcantara, Director of Finance, Responsible agreed with the audit results. Ms. Alcantara further agreed that a draft Official audit report was not necessary and that the audit report could be issued as final. Restricted Use This report is intended for the information and use of city management and the SCO; it is not intended to be and should not be used by anyone other than these specified parties. This restriction is not intended to limit distribution of this report, which is a matter of public record. Original signed by JEFFREY V. BROWNFIELD Chief, Division of Audits April 10, 2009 -2- City of Signal Hill Special Gas Tax Street Improvement Fund and Traffic Congestion Relief Fund Allocations Schedule 1— Reconciliation of Fund Balance July 1, 2007, through June 30, 2008 Special Gas Tax Street Improvement Fund Highway Users Tax TCRF Allocation 1 Allocation 2 Totals Beginning fund balance per city $ 86,509 $ 77,507 $ 164,016 Revenues 210,250 — 210,250 Total funds available 296,759 77,507 374,266 Expenditures (204,486) (77,507) (281,993) Ending fund balance per city 92,273 — 92,273 SCO adjustment — — — Ending fund balance per audit $ 92,273 $ — $ 92,273 ___________________________ 1 The city receives apportionments from the state highway users tax account, pursuant to Streets and Highways Code sections 2105, 2106, 2107, and 2107.5. The basis of the apportionments for Sections 2105, 2106, and 2107 varies, but the money may be used for any street purpose. Streets and Highways Code section 2107.5 restricts apportionments to administration and engineering expenditures, except for cities with populations of fewer than 10,000 inhabitants. Those cities may use the funds for rights-of-way and for the construction of street systems. 2 Government Code section 14556.5 created a Traffic Congestion Relief Fund (TCRF) in the State Treasury for allocating funds quarterly to cities and counties for street and road maintenance, reconstruction, and storm damage repair. The TCRF allocations were recorded in the Special Gas Tax Street Improvement Fund. The audit period was July 1, 2002, through June 30, 2008. -3- State Controller’s Office Division of Audits Post Office Box 942850 Sacramento, CA 94250-5874 http://www.sco.ca.gov C09-GTA-033