The Audit Connection Blog
Avoid these common errors while preparing this year’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Report
The State Auditor’s Office (SAO) performs almost 200 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) reviews each year. Local governments may also submit their CAFR to the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting. As part of their CAFR reviews, SAO and GFOA identified several common errors that could affect your government’s ability to obtain this certificate. ... CONTINUE READING
McCarthy says Wapato audits show need for accountability in the city
YAKIMA – The Office of the Washington State Auditor published two audits of the City of Wapato today, documenting significant violations of government standards. The accountability and financial audits include eight findings, an unusually high number and cause for concern. The State Auditor’s Office (SAO) also issued a letter to Wapato leadership responding to concerns that the public raised about the city. The reports come after SAO issued a fraud report in February detailing a $300,000 misappropriation in Wapato. “These audits speak to a basic lack of accountability and transparency in the city,” said State Auditor Pat McCarthy. “It is important the State Auditor’s Office shine a light on issues that need public attention, and the situation in Wapato is deeply concerning.” ... CONTINUE READING
What can 3 women from the tech sector teach governments about serving the public?
What can three women from the tech sector teach governments about serving the public? ... CONTINUE READING
NEW GAAP BARS guidance: Contingencies and litigations
The 2019 Budgeting, Accounting and Reporting System (BARS) update for entities that report using generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) has a new section on accounting for “contingencies and litigations,” and we encourage you to check it out. It includes a comprehensive chart that will help financial statement preparers more quickly assess potential accounting and disclosure requirements. It also includes guidance on how to handle expected insurance recoveries related to a contingent liability. ... CONTINUE READING
Introducing the PRA & Records Management Technology Guide
Managing public records has become an increasingly complex task for Washington government agencies. The Municipal Research and Services Center (MRSC) has partnered with the SAO Center for Government Innovation (formerly known as the Performance Center) to give local governments information and resources for managing electronic public records. The PRA & Records Management Technology Guide (Guide) will help you understand the opportunities and challenges of preparing for, selecting, and using records management technology. Here are some of the highlights! ... CONTINUE READING
New city and county revenue guides published
For many years, city and county officials have relied on the Municipal Research and Services Center’s (MRSC) Revenue Guides to better understand their various – and often confusing! – revenue options. And now, in partnership with the State Auditor’s Office (Center for Government Innovation (formerly known as the Performance Center), we’re excited to announce that we’ve completely re-written and re-published the two documents! Here are some of the highlights. ... CONTINUE READING
A whole new way to envision the same old data: The Financial Intelligence Tool is now available
Today, the Office of the Washington State Auditor has struck a blow for the democratization of governmental financial data to Washingtonians; the newly redesigned Financial Intelligence Tool is now available. Our Office collects the annual financial reports of all governments in the state of Washington; we have now made this data accessible and simple to understand. ... CONTINUE READING
Keep an eye out for workshops to help meet annual report filing deadline
Spring will be here before you know it, and so will the annual report deadline for local governments whose fiscal year ends December 31, 2018. For those governments, annual reports are due May 30, 2019. State law does not provide for any exceptions, so we recommend starting the filing process early, and we are available to help. ... CONTINUE READING
2018 by the numbers: 2,721 audits. 120 trainings. 16 fraud reports … and more
On the public's behalf, the Office of the Washington State Auditor is on the trail of good government. Check out our 2018 Annual Report, and follow along with our 350 auditors as they track public dollars and discover opportunities for greater transparency. You'll learn about our audit work, summaries of key fraud and whistleblower cases, insight into performance audits and more. ... CONTINUE READING
Bank sweeps detect fraud
A “bank sweep” is a process where you check with financial institutions to make sure no bank accounts exist for your organization that you aren’t aware of. ... CONTINUE READING