OSA Weekly Update - 10/11/2024
1. Message from Auditor Blaha
2. Released: 2024 Fire and Police State Aid Amounts
3. TIF: Review TIF Districts for Decertification Requirements
4. Released: 2023 Asset Forfeitures and Forfeiture Expenditures in Minnesota Report
5. Avoiding Pitfall: Internal Controls for Special Events
6. Job Openings
1. Message from Auditor Blaha
This week our office released the 2023 Asset Forfeitures and Forfeiture Expenditures in Minnesota report. I was joined by Representative Kelly Moller (DFL-Shoreview) and Senator Mark Johnson (GOP-East Grand Forks), both chief sponsors of the legislation, as well as Lauren Krisai, Executive Director for Justice Action Network, and Robert Small, Executive Director of the Minnesota County Attorneys Association.
The number of completed asset forfeitures decreased by 27% from 2022 to 2023. Over the five-year period from 2019 to 2023, completed forfeitures fell by 50%. The forfeiture legislation passed in 2021 by the Minnesota Legislature appears to be a major driver of the change.
You can view a recording of the press conference on the OSA YouTube page.
2. Released: 2024 Fire and Police State Aid Amounts
The 2024 fire and police state aid amounts have been released by the Minnesota Department of Revenue and posted to the OSA website.
3. TIF: Review TIF Districts for Decertification Requirements
As the end of the year approaches, this is a good time to review TIF districts for decertification requirements. TIF districts must be decertified when they reach a duration limit or the decertification requirements of the Six-Year Rule. Timely decertification, generally by resolution, avoids improper receipt of tax increments in following years. If you have any questions, please contact us at TIF@osa.state.mn.us.
For more information please see Review TIF Districts for Decertification Requirements, as well as the videos The Six-Year Rule and How to Monitor the Six-Year Rule.
You may find the Confirmation of Decertified TIF District Form, which is required to be completed when a district is decertified, on the OSA website.
4. Released: 2023 Asset Forfeitures and Forfeiture Expenditures in Minnesota Report
This week State Auditor Blaha released the 2023 Asset Forfeitures and Forfeiture Expenditures Report. Auditor Blaha announced that 243 law enforcement agencies reported a total of 3,873 completed forfeitures, down from 5,280 completed forfeitures in 2022. In 2023, vehicles accounted for 52 percent of property seized, followed by firearms at 24 percent, cash at 23 percent, and other property at one percent. The most common criminal activities leading to seizure, forfeiture, and final disposition of property in 2023 were controlled substance and DUI-related, accounting for 78 percent of the forfeitures. Forfeiture expenditures in 2023 totaled $7.1 million, primarily allocated to capital expenses, salaries, operating costs, and professional services, which represented 76% of total expenditures.
The full report and press release are available on the OSA website.
5. Avoiding Pitfall: Internal Controls for Special Events
For any entity hosting a special event, written policies and procedures documenting internal controls for the handling of funds at the event are important. Approval of the policies and procedures by the entity’s governing body emphasizes their importance and authority.
Documentation of the policies and procedures will help people working at the event understand their role in the internal control system. Documentation will also improve the efficiency and consistency of transaction processing and support management’s risk identification, evaluation, and mitigation. The documentation should:
- Describe procedures as they are intended to be performed;
- Indicate who is responsible for performing each procedure; and
- Explain the design and purpose of control-related procedures.
The Avoiding Pitfall is available on the OSA website.
6. Job Openings
Local Government Auditor Staff Specialist Senior
The OSA is hiring a Local Government Auditor Staff Specialist Senior who will work with the Standards and Procedures group within the Audit Division. This position provides oversight of audits conducted to ensure conformance with professional standards, while also providing technical guidance. There are a lot of opportunities for diverse work within Standards and Procedures as we problem solve, review reports, implement and research standards, and issue and review guidance for OSA staff and external entities.
The job posting will close on October 24, 2024.
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