Announcements

The State Auditor's Office is changing some of the emails we send every week to better align with cybersecurity best practices.

Beginning the week of Nov. 9, emails we send related to the publication of audit reports no longer will contain attachments nor embedded links. We are working to reduce the number of potential targets for attack by cyber-criminals while maintaining timely communication with you.

Email messages that alert recipients when we publish reports will now have two features:

Today, the Office of the Washington State Auditor declared three small local governments unauditable, placing them on the path for possible dissolution. Each of the governments had gone for years without either filing its annual financial reports or cooperating with independent audits, both of which are required by law.

These three governments received a report on unauditable government.

The Center for Government Innovation of the Washington State Auditor's Office is hosting virtual get-togethers to discuss resources, guidance and more that we have developed this past year.

Registration is now open for these no-cost sessions, and are open to all Washington state local government staff and elected officials.

Follow these links to register for your preferred timeslot:

Photo of Alexandra Johnson and Auditor McCarthy taken in May 2018

Last year, our goal was to maintain the local audit hourly billing rate for two years, through 2021. Although we did not plan for the fiscal challenges of a pandemic, we have determined that, by changing some of our operations and making internal cost adjustments, we will be able to meet our goal and leave the rate unchanged from 2020. However, if any unforeseen significant costs (i.e., COVID-19 or legislative funding changes) occur that we cannot adjust for, a billing adjustment may be necessary.

In May, the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) voted to delay implementation of several new accounting standards. The decision by GASB took effect immediately, and came in response to requests by governments across the country grappling with the coronavirus pandemic.

In keeping with our shared commitment to government transparency and accountability, the Office of the Washington State Auditor recently released our new COVID-19 Guidance Toolkit.

You can find it on our website at sao.wa.gov/coronavirus, or click the links on our homepage.

The 2020 Washington Finance Officers Association Conference will be conducted virtually and take place September 23 and 24. A mix of live and pre-recorded sessions will be available for you to join remotely. WFOA recommends using the Google Chrome web browser for the best experience. Registration is now open! For questions about registering for the WFOA Conference, please contact Aimy Enrique at aenriquez@mrsc.org or (206) 625-1300 x125. Click here to register.

The Office of the Washington State Auditor made the move to remote auditing in March, and overall we have found the transition to be successful and sustainable for the foreseeable future. However, we have noticed that audits sometimes take a little longer in this environment. In adapting to auditing in a remote environment, flexibility and robust communication have been key to performing timely audits.