Five years ago, the Office of the Washington State Auditor advised the town of Cusick that it had inadequate controls over its payroll and credit cards. Had the small government followed its audit recommendations then, it likely could have avoided more recent, and much larger, losses.
It’s fairly common for local governments to use a collection agency in some capacity, such as to collect outstanding fees or fines that the government was unable to collect on its own. But how do you know if your collection agency is doing a good job? A collection agency acts on your behalf, collecting delinquent debts and remitting money back to you so you can use it in your operation.
In this article, we will discuss tips on how to monitor your collection agency to evaluate its performance.
How long has it been since your government evaluated its credit card program? Was it when we published our original best practice resource in July 2019, just before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic?
The Center for Government Innovation at the State Auditor’s Office is celebrating: its newest service, the cyber checkup, is one year old. These checkups provide a fast, no-cost, independent review of local government cybersecurity programs.
Certain cities and counties in Washington are required to meet a 120-day deadline to make decisions on development permits. However, the actual processing time varies widely between localities and permit types, a new performance audit found.
Several irrigation and drainage districts near Yakima hired the same bookkeeper who misappropriated public funds through a variety of schemes, according to a report published today by the Office of the Washington State Auditor.
An audit released today by the Office of the Washington State Auditor revealed a significant lack of controls over financial operations in the Pierce County Superior Court Clerk’s Office, including taking no action to pay out several large accounts held in trust.
“Simply put, the results of this audit are a cause for serious concern. The financial operations of the clerk’s office have a direct impact on those who trust in our court system to resolve their legal issues and handle funds attentively,” said State Auditor Pat McCarthy.
Imagine you just bought a home, but you don’t like the kitchen because it’s outdated. Since this is potentially your “forever home,” it makes sense to update the kitchen so you can enjoy it for years to come. In a similar situation, a local government keeps its capital asset records for years – sometimes decades – so why not take the time to improve them? Like the kitchen, the investment in improving your capital asset management system is worth it because you can reap the long-term benefits.
The Pierce County Housing Authority needs to prioritize better financial controls to reduce the risk of another loss of public funds, the Office of the Washington State Auditor concluded in a report published Thursday.
“It’s time to make strong financial controls the Pierce County Housing Authority’s highest priority. Without them, the risk of a loss of public funds is too high,” said State Auditor Pat McCarthy.
It is important to think about all that comes with managing a new federal program for your government, ideally before you apply for it – and especially before you accept it. New federal awards are like getting a new puppy; they come with ramifications, implications and potential future costs for your government. If you think those things through, and understand what you are taking on, then you will be in a better position to manage the new award.