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Municipal Technical Advisory Service (MTAS)

Designating a Responsible Official

Reference Number: MTAS-630
Reviewed Date: 12/06/2022

We recommend that the office of the finance officer be responsible for the Capital Asset Accounting System (CAAS) because this office keeps general ledger control accounts and many of the source documents used to process and file property information. The finance officer, or deputy, acting as property accounting officer, should control the identification of equipment, detailed records, physical inventory planning, entries in the books of account and report preparation. Centralizing this responsibility results in a more efficient and accurate system than maintaining it in individual departments. The official assigned to establish the CAAS will need the cooperation and assistance of all department heads during system establishment, annual inventories, and on other occasions.