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The Audit Connection Blog
Audit finds some human trafficking awareness information out of date
Washington’s efforts to raise awareness of human trafficking have become outdated in some instances, but agencies generally follow the law, a new performance audit published by the Office of the Washington State Auditor found. ... CONTINUE READING
Preparing your annual report package? Check out SAO’s updated school checklist today
The end of summer also means the end of another school district fiscal year. We’re here to help you close the books and prepare your financial reporting package with our 2025-26 Checklist for preparing and reviewing school district financial statements. ... CONTINUE READING
SAO’s newest resource helps local governments manage federal awards
The Office of the Washington State Auditor has published a new resource for local governments called Essentials of managing federal awards: A compliance handbook. Now governments can access the latest version of this handbook at any time of the year in our Resource Library. ... CONTINUE READING
Audits find misappropriations, mismanagement continued at Mason County Fire District 12
The latest audits of a troubled Mason County fire district show its well-documented disregard for the protection of public funds continued for years until its governing board was replaced in 2024, including misappropriations totaling nearly $150,000. ... CONTINUE READING
Fiscal year 2025 financial data is now available in FIT
The Office of the Washington State Auditor has published fiscal year 2025 data in our latest update of the Financial Intelligence Tool (FIT). ... CONTINUE READING
Are you evaluating the risks to your federal programs? SAO has a new tool to get you started
Imagine you are planning an expensive Hawaiian vacation—your first in two years. One of the first things you check is whether any of the costs are refundable if something were to prevent you from going. When you learn you could lose your deposit if you pull out of the trip, you plan to buy trip insurance just to be safe. In other words, you’ve identified a risk and found a way to mitigate it. ... CONTINUE READING
Have you done your annual credit card inventory?
Accounting departments are accustomed to performing inventories, but often they focus on capital assets or inventory stores. Consider also performing an inventory of your issued credit cards to reduce your risk of fraudulent payments. ... CONTINUE READING
Take charge of your credit card program. Implement our updated best practices today!
The State Auditor's Office has updated its Best Practices for Credit Card Programs resource. We’ve added more best practices to our resource, about 14 in total, to help local governments better manage the risk that comes with having a credit card program. ... CONTINUE READING
State’s home care initiative increased patient safety, created burdensome aide certification process, audit finds
A landmark Washington initiative succeeded in making home care patients safer but also created a long, arduous certification process for their aides – a process about two-thirds of applicants never complete, according to a new audit by our Office. ... CONTINUE READING
A new school district financial health indicator has made its debut in SAO’s Financial Intelligence Tool (FIT)
The Office of the Washington State Auditor is excited to bring a new financial health indicator – Change in Enrollment – to school districts around Washington state. ... CONTINUE READING