COVID-19

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) established the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (CSLFRF), assistance listing number of 21.027. CSLFRF provides $65.1 billion directly to counties and another $65.1 billion to cities and other municipalities. These funds represent a substantial infusion of resources to meet pandemic response needs and rebuild a stronger and more equitable economy as the country recovers.

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) established the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (CSLFRF) program, administered by the U.S. Treasury, Assistance Listing Number 21.027. One eligible use of these program funds allows governments to replace lost revenue in order to avoid cuts in their services.

Today Gov. Inslee announced most state employees will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment, and he encouraged separately elected officials to adopt the same approach.

The Office of the Washington State Auditor will follow that proclamation. Everyone who works at SAO will be required to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 18, with exceptions only for health and religious reasons.

Updated: March 26, 2021, most recently updated: August 4, 2021

Over time, there have been a number of changes to the guidance for single audit due dates and information to be reported on the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA).

Are you finding that you have a few stressors in your life these days? Your dining room table is also a home office and school desk; your cat interrupts important virtual meetings with your boss; so much togetherness! Connecting to a strong sense of purpose might just help you deal more effectively with stress whatever your situation might be.

School districts, like so many governments, continue to face challenging situations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They have had to shutter schools, convert to remote learning quickly, and move to remote working all while continuing to provide essential services to their students. As school districts look to the start of school and beyond, they continue to face new challenges during these uncertain times.

The Office of the Washington State Auditor made the move to remote auditing in March, and overall we have found the transition to be successful and sustainable for the foreseeable future. However, we have noticed that audits sometimes take a little longer in this environment. In adapting to auditing in a remote environment, flexibility and robust communication have been key to performing timely audits.

The permitting counter was usually a busy place at a local city or county government, with contractors and homeowners stopping in to ask questions or buy permits. Most entities have probably changed their processes to reduce interpersonal contact since the pandemic started.

For some, it might be time to re-evaluate if your temporary solution is working for you and what other options you might have. Here is a current list of resources we have found that could help you.

Options and considerations

Many local governments found themselves abruptly thrust into the world of online meetings when state-level mandates to prevent the spread of coronavirus forced them to cancel in-person events. After several months' experience, you might be reconsidering your initial choice. We have assembled a list of five things to consider when choosing an online meeting platform.

What's the best advice we can give you regarding use of and documentation for CARES Act funding? Document, document, and document some more. These funds should be treated just like any other federal award, which means their use should comply with the terms and conditions of the award and the Uniform Guidance. The federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) provided some additional guidance and some exemptions to Uniform Guidance in its memorandums. OMB has stressed the requirement to maintain appropriate records to support costs charged to federal awards.