Government staff all over Washington often ask me where to start when they seek to improve a process like permits, asset management, approval queues and so on. To answer this, I ask them: Do you have a change management strategy in place?
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The processes for compiling and presenting financial and federal program reports contain many areas of risk, such as reorganization or personnel changes, and new or revised guidance and rules.
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In May 2016, local governments reached out to the State Auditor’s Office with concerns that mosquito control districts were not following state law regarding annual assessments for district operations.
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Washington’s state and local governments regularly undergo a wide variety of audits with differing objectives. These audits assure you and the public that financial data is accurate and public resources are properly safeguarded, that the government complies with various regulations and its programs are run effectively.
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We are excited to share a couple of staff appointments that have occurred this year.
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Does it seem like there’s always some new accounting standard that needs to be implemented? That’s because there is! The Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) issues an average of three new accounting standards a year.
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Accounting for capital assets is an area of difficulty for many governments. General purpose governments have been reporting infrastructure assets for more than a decade because of Governmental Accounting Standard’s Board (GASB) Statement No. 34.
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The State Auditor’s Office has established a new OPEB web page to help local governments understand and implement GASB Statement No. 75, Accounting and Financial Reporting for Postemployment Benefits Other Than Pensions, effective for fiscal years ending in 2018.
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We are offering the BARS Roundtable Sessions again this fall. The roundtable discussions are free, three-hour feedback opportunities open to all local governments. Past attendance included more than 400 local government representatives the last two years.
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This week, our Office notified local governments across Washington of a modest adjustment to our hourly billing rate that begins next year.
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