Control and compliance issues in the report
17 control and compliance findings.
Here is what they mean.
Jersey City's 2025 audit identified 17 numbered findings, including two material weaknesses. The most consequential issues involved year-end financial reporting and ledger reconciliation, purchasing controls, grant and program compliance, and recurring payroll and employee-benefit documentation problems.
At a glance
The highest financial-reporting control category
Issues reported in at least one earlier audit
Records were insufficient for the auditors to verify them
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.
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 cash and equivalents
Cash is not the same as unrestricted fund balance.
Regulatory basis · p. 5
Current Fund balance
The statutory fund-balance figure reported on the Current Fund balance sheet.
Regulatory basis · p. 6
Current Fund deferred charges
Includes overexpenditures, operating deficits, and emergency and special-emergency authorizations that future budgets must absorb.
Regulatory basis · pp. 5, 123
Emergency authorizations
Emergency appropriation for group health insurance and tax appeals.
Regulatory basis · p. 123
Special-emergency authorizations
Contractual-severance authorizations amortized through later budgets.
Regulatory basis · p. 123
Emergency notes payable
Short-term notes issued for emergency and special-emergency costs.
Regulatory basis · p. 6
Bonds and notes authorized but not issued
Borrowing authorized by ordinance but not yet issued at year end.
Regulatory basis · pp. 30, 221
$1.1B total levy
School and county taxes pass through the City's collection system. They are not City operating spending. Source: pp. 114, 229.
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
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.
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.
Unreconciled records raise the risk that financial statements are incomplete or materially misstated and delay reliable reporting.
Maintain complete ledgers, reconcile all funds and subsidiary records monthly, document review, and resolve differences promptly.
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.
Purchasing, bids, and vendor documentation
Testing found purchases without complete competitive-procurement, contract, quotation, resolution, or vendor-eligibility documentation.
Weak procurement files reduce assurance that public purchasing was authorized, competitive, and compliant.
Centralize procurement review and require complete bid, quote, contract, resolution, and vendor-compliance files before payment.
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.
Federal grant reporting and compliance
Federal program records and reports were not consistently supported, reviewed, or filed with evidence of compliance.
Unsupported or late reporting can cause inaccurate grant claims, repayment exposure, or delayed reimbursement.
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.
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.
Payroll and employee personnel records
Employee files and payroll changes did not consistently contain timely authorization, supporting records, or documented review.
Incomplete support increases the risk of incorrect or unauthorized pay and benefit changes.
Require complete personnel authorizations, independent payroll-change review, and periodic reconciliation of payroll to approved rosters.
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.
Health-benefit eligibility and reimbursement
The City lacked complete evidence that benefit eligibility, waivers, reimbursements, and dependent coverage were reviewed and reconciled.
Benefits may continue for ineligible participants or be reimbursed incorrectly.
Perform recurring eligibility audits, reconcile carrier files to payroll and personnel records, and recover unsupported costs.
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.
Employee leave balances
Leave records were not consistently reconciled to attendance, contractual limits, and payroll records.
Incorrect leave balances can create inaccurate compensated-absence liabilities and improper payouts.
Reconcile leave balances regularly, enforce contractual caps, and document supervisory certification.
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.
Cash receipts and deposits
Selected departments did not consistently issue, deposit, reconcile, and independently review receipts on a timely basis.
Delayed or weakly documented receipt controls increase the risk of loss or incomplete revenue records.
Use sequential receipts, deposit promptly, reconcile collections to deposits, and document independent review.
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.
Tax collector reconciliations
Tax-collection records, bank balances, and general-ledger activity were not always reconciled and reviewed promptly.
Unresolved differences can obscure errors in the City's largest recurring revenue stream.
Complete monthly tax reconciliations, investigate differences, and retain evidence of supervisory review.
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.
Municipal court financial controls
Municipal Court reconciliations and case-related financial records were not consistently completed or resolved within required time frames.
Backlogs and unreconciled court activity can delay remittances and weaken accountability over fines and bail.
Complete required reconciliations and case reviews monthly and resolve aged items with documented oversight.
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.
Federal Equitable Sharing compliance
The report identifies compliance and reporting issues in the Federal Equitable Sharing program.
Noncompliance may affect the City's eligibility to retain or use shared forfeiture proceeds.
Reconcile program activity, retain allowable-use support, and obtain documented review before federal reporting.
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.
Affordable-housing trust records
Affordable-housing trust activity was not fully reconciled to project files, restrictions, and reporting records.
Incomplete records reduce assurance that restricted housing funds were used and reported as required.
Maintain project-level ledgers, reconcile them to the general ledger, and document eligibility and reporting review.
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.
Community Development Block Grant records
CDBG expenditures and program records did not consistently contain complete support and documented compliance review.
Unsupported costs can be disallowed and may reduce future federal funding.
Complete eligibility and procurement checklists, retain expenditure support, and reconcile program and accounting records.
Questioned costs: See the report's federal questioned-cost schedule.
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.
American Rescue Plan documentation
Selected ARPA expenditures lacked complete support for procurement, eligibility, or reporting review.
Insufficient documentation creates repayment and reporting risk for federal recovery funds.
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.
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.
Police forfeiture and special-account records
Special law-enforcement accounts were not consistently reconciled to source records and program restrictions.
Weak tracking can allow restricted proceeds to be misstated or used without adequate support.
Maintain separate program ledgers, reconcile monthly, and document allowable-use review before disbursement.
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.
General fixed-asset accounting records
The City did not maintain adequate detailed records for general fixed assets, preventing sufficient audit evidence.
Residents and decision-makers cannot rely on the printed fixed-asset total as an audited amount.
Build and maintain a complete asset inventory with cost, location, acquisition, disposal, and reconciliation records.
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.
Grant receivables and closeout
Aged grant receivables and reserves were not consistently researched, collected, canceled, or formally closed.
Stale balances can overstate expected reimbursement and obscure the City's true grant position.
Review grant balances quarterly, document collection status, and close or cancel completed and uncollectible items.
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.
Budget overexpenditures and encumbrances
The audit reported appropriation overexpenditures and weaknesses in encumbrance and budget-monitoring records.
Spending beyond available appropriations shifts costs into deferred charges and future budgets.
Monitor budget balances before commitments, record encumbrances promptly, and require corrective transfers or authorizations before overspending.
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
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.
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.
| Report | Years covered | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 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.