At a glance

Numbered findings
17

Control and compliance issues in the report

Material weaknesses
2

The highest financial-reporting control category

Repeat findings
5

Issues reported in at least one earlier audit

Opinion scope
No fixed-assets opinion

Records were insufficient for the auditors to verify them

The opinion is not a pass/fail grade

Most regulatory statements received clean opinions—with an important exception.

The auditors gave unmodified opinions on most regulatory-basis fund statements, but disclaimed an opinion on the general fixed-assets account group because the City did not maintain adequate records. The adverse GAAP opinion is the expected result of New Jersey's required regulatory accounting basis and is not, by itself, a finding that money is missing.

Read the three opinion scopes
  • New Jersey regulatory basis: Unmodified opinions on the regulatory-basis financial statements identified in the report, except for the general fixed-assets account group.
  • U.S. GAAP: Adverse opinion under U.S. GAAP because New Jersey municipalities are required to use a statutory regulatory basis that differs from GAAP.
  • Fixed assets: Disclaimer of opinion: adequate fixed-asset accounting records were not maintained, so the auditors could not obtain sufficient evidence.
Financial position

The balances behind the findings

Each amount keeps the fund, accounting basis, audit status, and source page attached. A City fund balance is not interchangeable with the full property-tax levy.

Current Fund only

Current Fund cash and equivalents

$82.6M
2024: $87.5M

Cash is not the same as unrestricted fund balance.

Regulatory basis · p. 5

Current Fund only

Current Fund balance

$41.9M
2024: $32.6M

The statutory fund-balance figure reported on the Current Fund balance sheet.

Regulatory basis · p. 6

Current Fund only

Current Fund deferred charges

$90.7M
2024: $77.6M

Includes overexpenditures, operating deficits, and emergency and special-emergency authorizations that future budgets must absorb.

Regulatory basis · pp. 5, 123

Current Fund only

Emergency authorizations

$22.5M
2024: $0

Emergency appropriation for group health insurance and tax appeals.

Regulatory basis · p. 123

Current Fund only

Special-emergency authorizations

$33.2M
2024: $29.6M

Contractual-severance authorizations amortized through later budgets.

Regulatory basis · p. 123

Current Fund only

Emergency notes payable

$78.7M
2024: $64M

Short-term notes issued for emergency and special-emergency costs.

Regulatory basis · p. 6

General Capital Fund

Bonds and notes authorized but not issued

$77.9M
2024: $106.9M

Borrowing authorized by ordinance but not yet issued at year end.

Regulatory basis · pp. 30, 221

Property-tax composition · all taxing entities

$1.1B total levy

School share of levy $489.6M County share of levy $206M Local tax for municipal purposes $405.1M Library and dedicated City levies $21.8M

School and county taxes pass through the City's collection system. They are not City operating spending. Source: pp. 114, 229.

Do not use as an audited fact

General fixed assets · $912.8M

Do not treat as an audited fact: the auditors disclaimed an opinion because adequate fixed-asset records were not maintained.

pp. 2–3, 39

Every numbered finding

What needs to change

“Material weakness” is an audit-control classification, not an allegation of fraud. Open a finding for the condition, why it matters, the auditor's recommendation, repeat history, and the City's separately labeled response.

2025-001 · material weakness · Repeat since 2023

Financial reporting and ledger reconciliation

The City did not maintain complete, timely, reconciled ledgers and supporting schedules for all funds, requiring audit adjustments and additional procedures.

Why it matters

Unreconciled records raise the risk that financial statements are incomplete or materially misstated and delay reliable reporting.

Auditor recommendation

Maintain complete ledgers, reconcile all funds and subsidiary records monthly, document review, and resolve differences promptly.

City response · unaudited

Management states that it is expanding reconciliation procedures and assigning staff to complete and review outstanding schedules.

Responsible area: Department of Finance

Official report pp. 270–272

2025-002 · material weakness · Repeat since 2022

Purchasing, bids, and vendor documentation

Testing found purchases without complete competitive-procurement, contract, quotation, resolution, or vendor-eligibility documentation.

Why it matters

Weak procurement files reduce assurance that public purchasing was authorized, competitive, and compliant.

Auditor recommendation

Centralize procurement review and require complete bid, quote, contract, resolution, and vendor-compliance files before payment.

City response · unaudited

Management states that purchasing controls, training, and pre-payment documentation review will be strengthened.

Responsible area: Purchasing and Finance

Official report pp. 272–274 · Includes a compliance issue

2025-003 · significant deficiency

Federal grant reporting and compliance

Federal program records and reports were not consistently supported, reviewed, or filed with evidence of compliance.

Why it matters

Unsupported or late reporting can cause inaccurate grant claims, repayment exposure, or delayed reimbursement.

Auditor recommendation

Assign program-level ownership, reconcile grant ledgers to reports, retain support, and document supervisory review before submission.

Questioned costs: See the report's federal findings and questioned-cost schedules.

City response · unaudited

Management states that grant reporting calendars, reconciliations, and review sign-offs will be formalized.

Responsible area: Finance and grant program managers

Official report pp. 275–277 · Includes a compliance issue

2025-004 · significant deficiency · Repeat since 2021

Payroll and employee personnel records

Employee files and payroll changes did not consistently contain timely authorization, supporting records, or documented review.

Why it matters

Incomplete support increases the risk of incorrect or unauthorized pay and benefit changes.

Auditor recommendation

Require complete personnel authorizations, independent payroll-change review, and periodic reconciliation of payroll to approved rosters.

City response · unaudited

Management states that Human Resources and Payroll will standardize files and document change approvals.

Responsible area: Human Resources and Payroll

Official report pp. 277–278

2025-005 · significant deficiency · Repeat since 2021

Health-benefit eligibility and reimbursement

The City lacked complete evidence that benefit eligibility, waivers, reimbursements, and dependent coverage were reviewed and reconciled.

Why it matters

Benefits may continue for ineligible participants or be reimbursed incorrectly.

Auditor recommendation

Perform recurring eligibility audits, reconcile carrier files to payroll and personnel records, and recover unsupported costs.

City response · unaudited

Management states that benefit-enrollment reconciliation and eligibility certification will be expanded.

Responsible area: Human Resources

Official report pp. 278–279

2025-006 · control deficiency · Repeat since 2020

Employee leave balances

Leave records were not consistently reconciled to attendance, contractual limits, and payroll records.

Why it matters

Incorrect leave balances can create inaccurate compensated-absence liabilities and improper payouts.

Auditor recommendation

Reconcile leave balances regularly, enforce contractual caps, and document supervisory certification.

City response · unaudited

Management states that departments will certify balances and resolve discrepancies with Human Resources.

Responsible area: Human Resources

Official report pp. 279–280

2025-007 · control deficiency

Cash receipts and deposits

Selected departments did not consistently issue, deposit, reconcile, and independently review receipts on a timely basis.

Why it matters

Delayed or weakly documented receipt controls increase the risk of loss or incomplete revenue records.

Auditor recommendation

Use sequential receipts, deposit promptly, reconcile collections to deposits, and document independent review.

City response · unaudited

Management states that department collection procedures and Finance oversight will be standardized.

Responsible area: Finance and collecting departments

Official report pp. 280–281

2025-008 · control deficiency

Tax collector reconciliations

Tax-collection records, bank balances, and general-ledger activity were not always reconciled and reviewed promptly.

Why it matters

Unresolved differences can obscure errors in the City's largest recurring revenue stream.

Auditor recommendation

Complete monthly tax reconciliations, investigate differences, and retain evidence of supervisory review.

City response · unaudited

Management states that the Tax Collector and Finance will coordinate monthly reconciliations.

Responsible area: Tax Collector and Finance

Official report pp. 281–282

2025-009 · control deficiency

Municipal court financial controls

Municipal Court reconciliations and case-related financial records were not consistently completed or resolved within required time frames.

Why it matters

Backlogs and unreconciled court activity can delay remittances and weaken accountability over fines and bail.

Auditor recommendation

Complete required reconciliations and case reviews monthly and resolve aged items with documented oversight.

City response · unaudited

Management states that court management is addressing backlogs and documenting monthly review.

Responsible area: Municipal Court

Official report pp. 282–283 · Includes a compliance issue

2025-010 · compliance finding

Federal Equitable Sharing compliance

The report identifies compliance and reporting issues in the Federal Equitable Sharing program.

Why it matters

Noncompliance may affect the City's eligibility to retain or use shared forfeiture proceeds.

Auditor recommendation

Reconcile program activity, retain allowable-use support, and obtain documented review before federal reporting.

City response · unaudited

Management states that program records and report review will be strengthened.

Responsible area: Public Safety and Finance

Official report pp. 283–284 · Includes a compliance issue

2025-011 · control deficiency

Affordable-housing trust records

Affordable-housing trust activity was not fully reconciled to project files, restrictions, and reporting records.

Why it matters

Incomplete records reduce assurance that restricted housing funds were used and reported as required.

Auditor recommendation

Maintain project-level ledgers, reconcile them to the general ledger, and document eligibility and reporting review.

City response · unaudited

Management states that housing and Finance records will be reconciled on a recurring schedule.

Responsible area: Housing and Finance

Official report pp. 284–285 · Includes a compliance issue

2025-012 · compliance finding

Community Development Block Grant records

CDBG expenditures and program records did not consistently contain complete support and documented compliance review.

Why it matters

Unsupported costs can be disallowed and may reduce future federal funding.

Auditor recommendation

Complete eligibility and procurement checklists, retain expenditure support, and reconcile program and accounting records.

Questioned costs: See the report's federal questioned-cost schedule.

City response · unaudited

Management states that CDBG file review and accounting reconciliation procedures will be formalized.

Responsible area: Community Development and Finance

Official report pp. 285–287 · Includes a compliance issue

2025-013 · compliance finding

American Rescue Plan documentation

Selected ARPA expenditures lacked complete support for procurement, eligibility, or reporting review.

Why it matters

Insufficient documentation creates repayment and reporting risk for federal recovery funds.

Auditor recommendation

Retain complete eligibility and procurement files and reconcile project records to federal reports and the ledger.

Questioned costs: See the report's federal questioned-cost schedule.

City response · unaudited

Management states that centralized ARPA files and review controls will be completed.

Responsible area: Finance and program managers

Official report pp. 287–288 · Includes a compliance issue

2025-014 · control deficiency

Police forfeiture and special-account records

Special law-enforcement accounts were not consistently reconciled to source records and program restrictions.

Why it matters

Weak tracking can allow restricted proceeds to be misstated or used without adequate support.

Auditor recommendation

Maintain separate program ledgers, reconcile monthly, and document allowable-use review before disbursement.

City response · unaudited

Management states that Public Safety and Finance will establish recurring account reconciliations.

Responsible area: Public Safety and Finance

Official report pp. 288–289 · Includes a compliance issue

2025-015 · significant deficiency

General fixed-asset accounting records

The City did not maintain adequate detailed records for general fixed assets, preventing sufficient audit evidence.

Why it matters

Residents and decision-makers cannot rely on the printed fixed-asset total as an audited amount.

Auditor recommendation

Build and maintain a complete asset inventory with cost, location, acquisition, disposal, and reconciliation records.

City response · unaudited

Management states that an asset-inventory and record-reconstruction project will be pursued.

Responsible area: Finance and operating departments

Official report pp. 2–3, 289–290

2025-016 · control deficiency

Grant receivables and closeout

Aged grant receivables and reserves were not consistently researched, collected, canceled, or formally closed.

Why it matters

Stale balances can overstate expected reimbursement and obscure the City's true grant position.

Auditor recommendation

Review grant balances quarterly, document collection status, and close or cancel completed and uncollectible items.

City response · unaudited

Management states that an aged-grant review and formal closeout process will be implemented.

Responsible area: Finance and grant program managers

Official report pp. 290–291

2025-017 · compliance finding

Budget overexpenditures and encumbrances

The audit reported appropriation overexpenditures and weaknesses in encumbrance and budget-monitoring records.

Why it matters

Spending beyond available appropriations shifts costs into deferred charges and future budgets.

Auditor recommendation

Monitor budget balances before commitments, record encumbrances promptly, and require corrective transfers or authorizations before overspending.

City response · unaudited

Management states that budget availability checks and encumbrance review will be tightened.

Responsible area: Finance and Purchasing

Official report pp. 291–292 · Includes a compliance issue

Source-validation warning

Manual review retained: wording for the Federal Equitable Sharing compliance opinion conflicts within the report, and the printed overexpenditure schedules differ by $10. The reader does not silently resolve either inconsistency.

Historical audits

Choose a report year

CY is a calendar year, FY is the older June-ending fiscal year, and TY2010 is the transition period. Comparative CY2022 also represents CY2021.

Official PDF archive

Supporting source evidence, not the primary reading experience. Independent audits only; budgets and Annual Financial Statements are separate.

ReportYears coveredSource
CY2025 2025, 2024 Open official PDF
CY2024 2024, 2023 Open official PDF
CY2023 2023, 2022 Open official PDF
CY2022 2022, 2021
No separate CY2021 report was published; this comparative audit covers both 2022 and 2021.
Open official PDF
CY2020 2020, 2019 Open official PDF
CY2019 2019, 2018 Open official PDF
CY2018 2018, 2017 Open official PDF
CY2017 2017, 2016 Open official PDF
CY2016 2016, 2015 Open official PDF
CY2015 2015, 2014 Open official PDF
CY2014 2014, 2013 Open official PDF
CY2013 2013, 2012 Open official PDF
CY2012 2012, 2011 Open official PDF
CY2011 2011, 2010
This report covers CY2011 and the 2010 transition year.
Open official PDF
TY2010 2010
Transition-year report for the period ending December 31, 2010; it also compares the fiscal year ending June 30, 2010.
Open official PDF
FY2010 2010 Open official PDF
FY2009 2009 Open official PDF
FY2008 2008 Open official PDF
FY2007 2007 Open official PDF
FY2006 2006 Open official PDF

Project Solomon is independent of the City of Jersey City. Structured audit facts are manually source-checked; City management responses are unaudited.