The Audit Connection Blog
SAO assistant director receives award for Fraud Magazine article
A leader of the Washington state auditor’s special investigations team was recently recognized for writing an article sharing lessons on uncovering Washington’s largest public misappropriation. ... CONTINUE READING
Picture this: FIT update offers new ways to see your data
We’ve updated our Financial Intelligence Tool (FIT) with fiscal year 2021 data. Curious how your peers around the state did in meeting the annual filing requirements? Our interactive infographic shows which governments filed on time, which filed late, and which haven’t filed at all. You can view the data by county or by entity type. ... CONTINUE READING
Rock your next financial reporting season with SAO’s new tool
A successful financial reporting season is one where you act to achieve your objectives rather than react to problems. To get there, you need the right kind of planning so you can spot the trouble ahead and take control early. Use SAO's new and improved financial reporting risk assessment tool to help you achieve your objectives. ... CONTINUE READING
Coming soon: SAO’s SecureShare, a customized data-sharing and collaboration tool for audits
Local governments and state agencies soon will have access to SAO’s SecureShare—a safe, simple tool for exchanging data during audits. ... CONTINUE READING
Summary infographic of the 2019 State of Washington Single Audit
The Single Audit examines whether Washington state agencies complied with federal grant requirements. This visual report provides a summary of Washington’s 2019 Single Audit. ... CONTINUE READING
National auditors group honors SAO staff for contributions to auditing, performance audit report
Employees and projects from the Office of the Washington State Auditor (SAO) were recently honored at the annual conference of the National State Auditors Association (NSAA) in Atlanta, Georgia. ... CONTINUE READING
Are your government’s finances ready for an earthquake?
Earthquakes and other natural disasters can be costly if your area is directly affected, and even more so if your government is unprepared. Your government may have an emergency response plan, but as financial managers, have you been included in some of those discussions? This article outlines steps governments can take to financially prepare for potentially large earthquakes and other disasters. ... CONTINUE READING
#Gov101 series continues with a look at port districts
In this latest addition to SAO’s #Gov 101 series, we explore Washington’s 80 port districts, including how they’re governed, how they finance their operations, and how you can participate at your local port district. ... CONTINUE READING
Thanks for submitting your annual report on time
We at SAO extend our thanks to every local government that filed its fiscal year 2021 annual report on time! This year, approximately 88 percent of local governments—2 percent more than last year—met the annual filing deadline, proving once again that compliance, accountability and transparency matter in Washington state. ... CONTINUE READING
Is asset tracking a thorn in your side? SAO’s resources can help ease the pain
Local governments track many assets with multiple objectives in mind. Whether your objective is accurate and complete financial reporting or safeguarding public assets, tracking all of your government’s assets can quickly become a pain. SAO offers tools and resources to help you simplify asset tracking and comply with a variety of objectives and requirements. ... CONTINUE READING