Unlock these new features in SAO’s Financial Intelligence Tool (FIT)

Jun 10, 2025

Dare to compare

You probably know your data better than anyone else—but the power of FIT is having every other government's data to compare yours against. We've brought back three features that make comparing even easier:

  1. Statewide averages. While exploring your government's or another government's individual profile, users can now toggle on "show statewide averages," which shows how one government's revenues and expenditures compare to the statewide average of all other governments of that type.
  2. Find your peers. While exploring a government's individual profile, users can now more easily find other governments that collect or spend similar amounts in any revenue or expenditure category. Here's how:
    • Within FIT, select "Individual Governments" and find a government of your choosing.
    • On their profile, click or tap the "Revenues or Expenditures" panel.
    • Hover over and click or tap any dollar amount.
    • When asked if you'd like to "Navigate to a ranked view," click "go."
    • That's it! You'll now see how this government compares to others 
  3. Compare side-by-side: FIT once again allows users to select up to six governments (more than before!) to compare finances side-by-side. You can do this in two ways:
    • Individual Governments - Click the "Compare" button, select up to six governments, and then select "Compare selected."
    • Navigate by Dollars - Select the dollar category of your choosing, then select "By Government" near the top of the page, then select "Compare" to choose governments. (Hint: This is the same view as the "find your peers" function above).

There is nothing to update or install to access these new comparison features. Simply visit portal.sao.wa.gov/FIT to explore!

Slice it AND dice it

We've added several new ways to filter and sort data in FIT. Using the "Options" menu found in many views throughout FIT, you can now:

  • Update the year range from four years to as many as 11
  • Filter data by a government's county
  • Filter data by a government's accounting basis (cash or GAAP)

Improving financial health ratios

We’ve updated the way we present financial health indicators in FIT based on your feedback. We’ve removed the labels that highlighted whether a government had all good, or at least one cautionary or concerning indicator. Instead, you now see a visual breakdown of how many indicators fall into each category—good, cautionary or concerning.

This change helps clarify that these reflect specific financial measures—not the government as a whole. We see this as a positive step forward, thanks to feedback from many of our local government users.

Connect with us

We’re always looking for ways to improve your experience with FIT! If you'd like in-depth guidance or have questions, the Office of the Washington State Auditor offers personal training sessions to walk you through the tool. 

For questions or to schedule a training session, email us at Center@sao.wa.gov.