Legislative auditors report uncorrected findings, warn audit timeline delayed after LUMA transition

April Renfro, director of legislative audits at the Legislative Services Office, told the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee on Jan. 7 that the office is issuing its annual report on uncorrected audit findings and that most outstanding items are from the current reporting period. She also warned that a late submission of statewide financial statements tied to the State Controller’s office transition to the LUMA system will probably delay the annual comprehensive financial report (ACFR) audit and the single-audit opinion into March.

The auditors’ office, Renfro said, performs the ACFR audit (statewide financial statements), the single audit that covers federal-award compliance, accountability reports that review agency internal controls, and several agreed-upon-procedure and entity-audit assignments. Renfro told the committee the office has about 30 financial and IT auditor positions, a small administrative staff, and statutory authority to conduct these reviews under Idaho law as cited to the committee.

The uncorrected-findings report is intended to show which agencies still have open recommendations and how long those items have been outstanding. Renfro said the office now lists open findings going back four years; in previous annual reports the office tracked five years’ history. She said roughly 70% of the uncorrected findings shown in the report are from the current reporting period and have not yet had follow-up visits, leaving about 30% that represent older findings the agencies have…