Government data tells a story with FIT – just take a look at what you can learn about drainage and diking districts

From the Olympic Peninsula to the Palouse and the area in between, over 2,200 local governments exist to serve the residents of Washington. Although you may be aware of cities and counties, are you aware of the more than 40 types of special purpose governments in our state?

The Office of the Washington State Auditor collects financial information from nearly 2,000 local governments each year and displays this data intuitively through the Financial Intelligence Tool (FIT). We explore what can be learned about government by being curious in their financial data. We encourage you to find something interesting and learn about all the local governments that serve the citizens of our state.

In recent months, the Office of the Washington State Auditor noticed an increase in public interest around diking and drainage districts. We think it's a good time to explore these special purpose governments and explain the services they provide to their constituents. Are you currently receiving services from these districts? Are you aware of how they are funded, or how much the average district collects each year? Access the interactive infographic below and explore the data we found by using FIT. What stories will you discover?