Citation Log Reconciliation After a Void
At the end of a shift, you are reconciling your citation log. The posted fine schedule on your clipboard is: expired meter, $65; no standing, $115; parking within 10 feet of a hydrant, $180; double parking, $115. You issued 15 citations: 7 expired meter, 5 no standing, 2 hydrant, and 1 double parking. One no-standing citation, number 4471, was voided because the sign was missing; the void is approved and should not be counted as payable. Your handwritten tally says the shift total is $1,505. The citation numbers run 4458 through 4472, and all 15 numbers appear on the log. The supervisor asks you to correct the reconciliation before you leave and to explain the difference.
1. Compute the correct payable total and identify the error in the tally.
Read the worked answer
Correct payable total: 7 expired meter x $65 = $455; 5 no standing x $115 = $575; 2 hydrant x $180 = $360; 1 double parking x $115 = $115. Sum = $455 + $575 + $360 + $115 = $1,505. Subtract the voided no-standing citation: $1,505 - $115 = $1,390. The tally of $1,505 counted the voided citation as payable. The error is exactly one no-standing fine, $115.
2. What should you do with citation 4471 in the log, and what supporting documentation should accompany the void?
Read the worked answer
Citation 4471 should be marked VOID in the log, not erased or removed. The original citation and the supervisor's void approval should stay with the shift packet. I would attach a note stating why it was voided - the sign was missing - and any photo or activity-log entry showing the condition. The payable total should be corrected to $1,390, and the void should be reflected in the daily reconciliation. The reasoning is that the log must show both the original issuance and the later disposition; destroying or hiding the entry would break the audit trail.
3. If you later issue one additional hydrant citation before the shift ends, what is the new total and average payable fine?
Read the worked answer
The new payable total is $1,390 + $180 = $1,570. I would add the citation number, time, location, and plate to the log, then recompute the total and initial the correction. The average payable fine would be $1,570 divided by 15 valid citations = $104.67, rounded to the nearest cent. The reasoning is that every added citation changes both the total and the count, so the reconciliation must be updated in one step rather than by adjusting only the total.