If they are not already doing so, local governments should consider periodically checking this database and recovering property due to them. A best practice might be checking the unclaimed property website once a year.
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The Office of the Washington State Auditor’s Center for Government Innovation partnered with the Municipal Research and Services Center (MRSC) to bring you updated guidance for writing travel and credit card policies. This Audit Connection post is courtesy of MRSC. Be sure to visit our Resources Database for these and other resources created to assist local governments in Washington.
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The need to be cybersecure isn’t going away-in fact, it’s an issue that grows more relevant each day. As more local governments in Washington are the unfortunate victims of cyberattacks, the reality of the situation cannot be ignored. Visit our new webpage for more information: www.sao.wa.gov/BeCyberSmart
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National audit standards require every audit to include a formal inquiry with key staff and a member of the governing body to discuss their views on risks the government faces. While this is a routine part of every audit, we sometimes receive questions about the process, what to expect in these conversations, and why we do them. Here’s what you should know about these discussions.
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Neill Public Library is a central gathering place where residents socialize, explore, discover and connect with the world around them.
Pullman city leadership
wanted to instill a culture of process improvement by using the Lean method in
city operations. The library, meanwhile, already had started to work on
improving customer experience. Library staff weren’t familiar with Lean, though, making the library a natural place for a pilot project.
State laws require local governments to be audited by our Office and for them to submit annual financial reports, yet every year many governments do not meet these obligations. Failure to be audited and provide annual financial reports keeps the public in the dark about how public money is being used, and impairs the decision making of management and elected officials.
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Today the Office of the Washington State Auditor released a pair of reports regarding King County Drainage District 5: a fraud investigation and a new type of report identifying the district as “unauditable.”
The Office also published an online guide to more than 35 other small local governments that have failed to file any public financial information for years, rendering them unauditable.
The Center for Government Innovation has added two procurement-related resources to the Resources Database in recent months, one on piggybacking and the other on change order best practices.
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The State Auditor’s Office (SAO) performs almost 200 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) reviews each year. Local governments may also submit their CAFR to the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting. As part of their CAFR reviews, SAO and GFOA identified several common errors that could affect your government’s ability to obtain this certificate.
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YAKIMA – The Office of the Washington State Auditor published two audits of the City of Wapato today, documenting significant violations of government standards. The accountability and financial audits include eight findings, an unusually high number and cause for concern. The State Auditor’s Office (SAO) also issued a letter to Wapato leadership responding to concerns that the public raised about the city. The reports come after SAO issued a fraud report in February detailing a $300,000 misappropriation in Wapato.
“These audits speak to a basic lack of accountability and transparency in the city,” said State Auditor Pat McCarthy. “It is important the State Auditor’s Office shine a light on issues that need public attention, and the situation in Wapato is deeply concerning.”
