Local governments

Today we are publishing the culmination of four years of audit work on Alternative Learning Experience programs, available here.

With the condition of infrastructure serving as a point of national discussion, useful life estimates for capital assets make for a timely accounting topic. Governments must maintain support for the useful life estimates they use for assets, and have a process to reassess the estimates periodically.

Large state agencies will get more in-depth reviews and smaller agencies will get more frequent accountability audits thanks to a boost in funding included in the supplemental state budget approved Thursday.The Office of the Washington State Auditor requested an additional $700,000 to support accountability audit work, and the Legislature agreed.

From left to right: Laura Marrone (Admin Tech), Rose Lauer (Assistant Office Manager), Commissioner/President Jerry Thornton, Sr., State Auditor Pat McCarthy, Commissioner John Thompson, Shane Young (General Manager) & Commissioner/Secretary, Renea Blanchette

State Auditor Pat McCarthy, County Treasurer Vickie Clelland, Financial Management Officer Heidi Penner, County Auditor Robert Waymire

 

The Local Government Performance Center has been renamed The Performance Center. Local governments can expect the same excellent training, technical assistance and resources that SAO has long provided to help improve performance and effectiveness. The Performance Center hosts Lean Academies, creates financial tools and shares online resources to help governments improve the value of their services to residents. For questions or inquiries into how The Performance Center can help, call (564) 999-0818 or email center@sao.wa.gov.

Did you know that the State Auditor offers free, in-depth evaluations of local government's cybersecurity systems? In an article published today, the Pew Charitable Trust details the cutting-edge role the Washington State Auditor has in ensuring the IT system security of local governments around the state.

Presented by the Municipal Research and Services Center (MRSC) and sponsored by the State Auditor's Office Performance Center, this webinar is for elec

The federal counterpart to the Office of the Washington State Auditor, the Governmental Accountability Office (GAO) released a report on Tuesday demonstrating the vitally important role of cybersecurity auditing in the information age.

Governments are vulnerable to cybersecurity breeches. In this way, they don't vary much from private-sector businesses, whose sometimes spectacular cybersecurity failings grab headlines.