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FOAC accepts follow-up audit of Division of Veteran and Military Affairs travel and accounts payable
Summary
A follow-up audit (A2025-03) found most prior recommendations implemented in the Division of Veteran and Military Affairs; one invoice was late due to staffing and the department met revised reconciliation timelines. FOAC approved forwarding the report 3-0.
The Financial Oversight and Audit Committee voted unanimously to accept and forward to City Council a follow-up audit report on the Division of Veteran and Military Affairs travel and accounts payable (A2025-03). The motion passed 3-0.
Mondo Calderon, chief internal auditor, said the follow-up audit reviewed corrective actions taken after an initial audit dated June 10, 2024. The engagement scope covered Oct. 1, 2024, through Feb. 28, 2025. Calderon said auditors verified whether travel requests were reconciled within 10 working days after travel, whether after-travel approvals were obtained and whether invoices were paid within 30 days.
Calderon described the results as largely implemented. The prior audit had found mathematical-review marks missing on invoices (an old policy that required department staff to show manual math checks), four vouchers not paid within 30 days and other travel-form issues. Since the original audit, the city rescinded the explicit manual mathematical-review requirement (Calderon said that requirement was "very archaic" and removed), and the reconciliation window was extended from five to 10 business days. In the follow-up sample, three out of three trips reviewed were reconciled within 10 days and had after-travel approvals, and the $36 overpayment discovered previously had been refunded by the military programs administrator.
Calderon noted one remaining timing issue: one voucher in the follow-up period was paid 37 days after issuance, which auditors attributed to staffing changes and a new employee in training. The audit marked that item as in progress and said staff is now trained.
Committee members asked clarifying questions about the change to the mathematical-review requirement, how often the division travels (Calderon said about four trips per year), and whether the division would use invoice-tracking tools similar to other departments; staff said the division is part of Strategic and Legislative Affairs and has backup personnel to avoid single-point failures.
Calderon recommended, and the FOAC approved, forwarding the follow-up audit to City Council. The committee recorded a 3-0 vote in favor of the motion.
