The Audit Connection Blog
New manager takes helm of South King County office
Saundra Groshong, audit manager for our South King County team, has left SAO after 19 years of service. Taking her place as team audit manager is Alex Beherndt. ... CONTINUE READING
More ways to #BeCyberSmart for the finance and legal departments of local governments
Cybersecurity is complex, and it can be hard to understand what your role is in keeping your organization safe from threats. The Center for Government Innovation has developed two new resources specifically for finance and legal staff at local governments. Staff in these departments play an important role in cybersecurity, and these resources provide understandable and actionable guidance and relevant information. ... CONTINUE READING
Auditor announces adjustment to hourly billing rate
This week, Auditor Pat McCarthy notified local governments of a coming adjustment to the hourly local audit billing rate. ... CONTINUE READING
Government data tells a story with FIT – just take a look at what you can learn about drainage and diking districts
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. What story will you find? ... CONTINUE READING
New resources identify best practices for credit card programs and travel expenditures
The Center for Government Innovation has published two new resources to help local governments identify best practices for two different, but possibly related areas: credit card programs and travel expenditures. ... CONTINUE READING
Find out where SAO's money comes from and where it goes
Curious where the State Auditor's Office gets its funding from, and how it spends that money? As part of our ongoing effort to increase transparency in government, we made a simple explanation of our $47.1 million budget for 2018. ... CONTINUE READING
Summary infographic of the 2018 State of Washington Single Audit report
The Single Audit examines whether Washington state agencies complied with federal grant requirements. This visual report provides a summary of Washington's 2018 Single Audit. ... CONTINUE READING
Are you ready to identify your asset retirement obligations?
Local governments are beginning to implement GASB Statement No. 83 on asset retirement obligations, or ARO’s, which is effective for reporting periods beginning after June 15, 2018. To help local governments begin, the Center for Government Innovation has published a new resource to help you identify asset retirement obligations in Washington. ... CONTINUE READING
Summary infographic of Washington's 2018 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report
Each year, as required by law, the state publishes its Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) to provide information on the state’s financial position. To make this important information accessible to the broadest possible audience, the State Auditor’s Office prepares this CAFR summary to provide a snapshot of the state’s financial position, including revenues and expenditures, cash balances and debt. ... CONTINUE READING
McCarthy: First Settlement in Wapato Case a Win for Good Government
Washington State Auditor Pat McCarthy praised an agreement announced by Attorney General Bob Ferguson Friday, requiring the resignation of the administrator of the troubled city of Wapato. ... CONTINUE READING