Automated Clearing House (ACH) and other types of payment fraud are on the rise, and bad actors are using vendor master files to do it. It starts with a simple request to change a vendor's contact information, payment address or banking details, and ends it with thousands or even millions of dollars in public funds being redirected to fraudulent accounts.
A new year has begun, which means it's time for cash-basis governments to close out the last year and begin preparing their annual financial reports.
In 2022, just one new local government fell into unauditable status and three others were removed from the category, continuing progress toward accounting for the public finances of all of Washington's 2,300 local governments.
A new year-end report by the Office of the Washington State Auditor identified six local governments that failed to provide basic financial records and cooperate with an audit—meeting the definition of an unauditable government. Five of those governments were also deemed unauditable the previous year.
Updated: Jan 5, 2023
The State Auditor's Office has finished updating the GAAP and Cash Basis BARS Manuals.
As the end of the year draws near, I want to thank you for your commitment to transparency and accountability. Good government is a shared mission, and I am proud to partner with you in our work.
SAO's latest performance audit report looked at the Washington State Department of Transportation's (WSDOT) contracting processes for tolling. While that audit didn't involve local governments, WSDOT plays a large role in how they obtain state resources to improve local road systems. This got staff in SAO's Center for Government Innovation thinking about how much transportation funding WSDOT distributes statewide.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dec. 1, 2022
OLYMPIA – The Pierce County Housing Authority has taken steps to improve its financial safeguards since a $7 million misappropriation two years ago, but more needs to be done, according to an accountability audit released today by the Office of the Washington State Auditor.
Updated: Dec 12, 2022
The State Auditor's Office will be updating the BARS Manuals (GAAP and Cash) beginning Monday, Dec. 12, 2022.
During the updates, sections of both online BARS Manuals will be unavailable for your use. Once updated, they will be fully available for accounting and reporting guidance related to fiscal year 2022 and forward.
We will notify local government audit contacts via email when the BARS Manuals have been fully updated.
Local governments should be more data-driven and focused on results when addressing homelessness, according to a new performance audit by the Office of the Washington State Auditor.
Auditors reviewed the way two cities and two counties contracted for services aimed at alleviating homelessness. They found that the governments did take some steps to align their work with federal guidelines, such as consulting with stakeholders when considering the needs of people experiencing homelessness.