ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENTThe Accounting Department, like other departments, has been very busy over the past year. There are always new projects to take on, either developing new and better systems to increase efficiency or comply with new laws, or improve upon already existing procedures, or simply reviewing and fulfilling the requirements of new grants. As in previous reports, we realized that some of the citizenry of the Tribe might not know exactly what types of functions the accounting department performs. The accounting department carries out many functions besides issuing requisitions, checks and reconciling bank statements. We’re also responsible for submitting the required financial reports to the government by deadlines, preparing and modifying budgets, assisting with the annual audit, maintaining balanced computerized entries for all transactions, preparing payroll and tax reports for the Tribe and the golf course, drawing down funds as needed and being accountable for grant, contract, and trust cash balances, assuring the Tribe is properly insured, analyzing financial information to make decisions on expenditures and future budgeting processes, maintaining a fixed assets system, allocating lump expenditures to different programs, tracking and reporting interest income (including trust funds interest), charging indirect and aiding in the indirect cost proposal process, answering requests for miscellaneous data or audit responses from federal agencies, and preparing various financial statements to be used for different purposes including reporting to the program directors and business committee. A couple of new things for the year will be the implementation of Direct Deposit of payroll checks and the construction of the new Tribal office building. Direct Deposit will allow the payroll check to go straight to the employee's bank of choice and be deposited electronically. The Accounting Department will be working to get this up and running very soon! The new office building construction has already begun and will continue throughout the year. We are now in full compliance with the new financial reporting requirement, GASB 34 (Governmental Accounting Standards Board Statement Number 34, Basic Financial Statements – and Management’s Discussion and Analysis – for State and Local Governments). We prepared the required "Management's Discussion and Analysis" section of the audit as the final phase. As we come to the close of the fiscal year, we are already preparing for the annual audit. We are consistently striving to produce accurate and useful data to keep the citizenry informed, while also aiding the Tribe in achieving a clean audit which is crucial in receiving and maintaining grants and also in securing economic development projects. Submitted by:
Austin Kinsey and Crystal Wyrick
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