HomeMy WebLinkAbout021323 State Auditor Exit ConferenceSPECIAL SESSION PORT TOWNSEND CITY COUNCIL AGENDA
CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS, 540 WATER STREET
State Auditor Exit Conference 10:00 a.m. February 13, 2023
Attend in person or virtually via computer or tablet at.h..t.t.p./joiriwebiriar,,coni enter the 9
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1. Call to Order
11. State Auditor Exit Conference
(The Port Townsend City Council will attend the State Auditor Exit Conference.)
111. Adjourn
a, 1190NE40111T M1,
The Office of the Washington State Auditor's vision is increased trust in government. Our mission is to provide
citizens with independent and transparent examinations of how state and local governments use public funds, and
develop strategies that make government more efficient and effective.
The purpose of this meeting is to share the results of your audit and our draft reporting. We value and appreciate
your participation.
We will publish the following reports:
• Accountability audit for January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2021 — see draft report.
• Financial statement audit for January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2021 — see draft report.
Audit Hi hli lits
We would like to thank City staff, especially Finance Manager Ron Logghe and Public Experience Liaison Naomi
Stern, for their cooperation and timely response to audit requests throughout the audit process.
Recommendations not included in the Audit Reports
Exit Items
We have provided exit recommendations for management's consideration. Exit items address control deficiencies
or noncompliance with laws or regulation that have an insignificant or immaterial effect on the entity, or errors
with an immaterial effect on the financial statements. Exit items are not referenced in the audit report.
Financial Statement Audit Communication
We would like to bring the following to your attention:
• We didn't identify any material misstatements during the audit.
• Uncorrected misstatements in the audited financial statements are summarized on the attached schedule.
We agree with management's representation that these misstatements are immaterial to the fair
presentation of the financial statements. However, the conditions that led to these misstatements may
result in more significant misstatements if not corrected.
• The audit addressed the following risks, which required special consideration:
o Due to the possibility that management may be able to circumvent certain controls, standards
require the auditor to assess the risk of management override.
Finaiii o r Audit
Report Publication
Audit reports are published on our website and distributed via email in a .pdf file. We also offer a subscription
service that notifies you by email when audit reports are released or posted to our website. You can sign up for
this convenient service at https://portal.sao.wa.gov/SAOPortal.
Management Representation Letter
We have included a copy of representations requested of management.
Audit Cost
At the entrance conference, we estimated the cost of the audit to be $40,000, plus travel costs and actual audit
costs will approximate that amount.
Your Next Scheduled Audit
Your next audit is scheduled to be conducted in summer 2024 and will cover the following general areas:
• Accountability for public resources for January 1, 2022 through December 31, 2023
• Financial statement for January 1, 2022 through December 31, 2023
• Federal programs for January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023
The estimated cost for the next audit based on current rates is $62,000 plus travel expenses. This preliminary
estimate is provided as a budgeting tool and not a guarantee of final cost.
Audit Survey
When your report is released, you will receive an audit survey from us. We value your opinions on our audit
services and hope you provide feedback.
Local Government Support Team
This team provides support services to local governments through technical assistance, comparative statistics,
training, and tools to help prevent and detect a loss of public funds. Our website and client portal offers many
resources, including a client Help Desk that answers auditing and accounting questions. Additionally, this team
assists with the online filing of your financial statements.
The Center for Government Innovation
The Center for Government Innovation at the Office of the Washington State Auditor offers services specifically
to help you help the residents you serve at no additional cost to your government. What does this mean? We
provide expert advice in areas like Lean process improvement, peer-to-peer networking, and culture -building to
help local governments find ways to be more efficient, effective and transparent. The Center can help you by
providing assistance in financial management, cybersecurity and more. Check out our best practices and other
resources that help local governments act on accounting standard changes, comply with regulations, and respond
to recommendations in your audit. The Center understands that time is your most precious commodity as a public
servant, and we are here to help you do more with the limited hours you have. If you are interested in learning
how we can help you maximize your effect in government, call us at (564) 999-0818 or email us at
Center(a,sao.wa. gov.
Please contact us with any questions about information in this document or related audit reports.
Kelly Collins, CPA, CFE, Director of Local Audit, (564) 999-0807, Ke11y.Collins(&sao.wa.gov
Tina Watkins, CPA, Assistant Director of Local Audit, (360) 260-6411 Tina.Watkins(&sao.wa.gov
Amy Strzalka, CPA, Program Manager, (360) 845-1476, Amy.Strzalka(ausao.wa.gov
Melinda Seibert, Assistant Audit Manager, (360) 845-1485, Melinda.Seibert(ausao.wa.gov
Tammy Lane, Audit Lead, (360) 845-1482, Tammy.Lane(asao.wa.gov
3
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Accountability Audit Report
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%-,ity of Port Townsenq,
For the period January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2021
Published (Iriserted Icy 019
Report No. 1032052
Find out what's new at SAO
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Office of the Washington State Auditor
Pat McCarthy
Issue Date — (Inserted by OS)
Mayor and City Council
City of Port Townsend
Port Townsend, Washington
Thank you for the opportunity to work with you to promote accountability, integrity and openness
in government. The Office of the Washington State Auditor takes seriously our role of providing
state and local governments with assurance and accountability as the independent auditor of public
accounts. In this way, we strive to help government work better, cost less, deliver higher value and
earn greater public trust.
Independent audits provide essential accountability and transparency for City operations. This
information is valuable to management, the governing body and public stakeholders when
assessing the government's stewardship of public resources.
Attached is our independent audit report on the City's compliance with applicable requirements
and safeguarding of public resources for the areas we examined. We appreciate the opportunity to
work with your staff and value your cooperation during the audit.
Sincerely,
Pat McCarthy, State Auditor
Olympia, WA
Americans with Disabilities
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, we will make this document available in
alternative formats. For more information, please contact our Office at (564) 999-0950, TDD
Relay at (800) 833-6388, or email our webmaster at ebmas�ter6d))sao.wa. �.
Insurance Building, P.O. Box 40021 • Olympia, Washington 98504-0021 • (564) 999-0950 • Pat. McCarthy@sao.wa.gov
5
AuditResults................................................................................................................................... 4
RelatedReports............................................................................................................................... 5
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Informationabout the City.............................................................................................................. 6
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About the State Auditor's Office ..................................................................................................... 7
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Results in brief
N This report describes the overall results and conclusions for the areas we examined. In those
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regulations, and its own policies, and provided adequate controls over the safeguarding of public
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resources.
hu�u�l In keeping with general auditing practices, we do not examine every transaction, activity, policy,
internal control, or area. As a result, no information is provided on the areas that were not
examined.
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liII11111111111111 About the audit
This report contains the results of our independent accountability audit of the City of Port
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1,Ill, Management is responsible for ensuring compliance and adequate safeguarding of public resources
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from fraud, loss or abuse. This includes the design, implementation and maintenance of internal
do controls relevant to these objectives.
o This audit was conducted under the authority of RCW 43.09.260, which requires the Office of the
NO Washington State Auditor to examine the financial affairs of all local governments. Our audit
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and regulations and its own policies and procedures, and internal controls over such matters. The
procedures performed were based on our assessment of risks in the areas we examined.
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Based on our risk assessment for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, the areas examined
Mimm were those representing the highest risk of fraud, loss, abuse, or noncompliance. We examined the
following areas during this audit period:
• Accounts receivable — utility billing, adjustments and collections
• Accounts payable — general disbursements and credit cards
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• Payroll — gross wages, overtime, bereavement leave, leave cash outs, bonus and
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incentive payments and final pay to departing employees
• Self-insurance for unemployment
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• Open public meetings — compliance with minutes, meetings and executive session
requirements
• Financial condition — reviewing for indications of financial distress
Office of the Washington State Auditor sao.wa.gov
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Our opinion on the City's financial statements is provided in a separate report, which includes the
City's financial statements. That report is available on our website,
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The City of Port Townsend serves 9,485 citizens in Jefferson County. The City provides an array
of services including water, sewer, storm drainage, police, parks and recreation, planning, street
maintenance and construction, library and general administrative services. The City contracts for
fire protection, court, jail and emergency medical services. A private company provides solid
waste collection services.
An elected, seven -member Council governs the City. The Council appoints a Manager to oversee
the City's daily operations and approximately 130 employees. For 2021 and 2020, the City's
operating revenues were approximately $29.7 million and $24.1 million, respectively.
Contact information related to this report
City of Port Townsend
Address: 250 Madison Street Suite 1
Port Townsend, WA 98368
Contact: Ron Logghe, Finance Manager
Telephone: (360) 379-4406
Website: www.cityofpt.us
Information current as of report publish date.
Audit history
You can find current and past audit reports for the City of Port Townsend at
http.L//Zort,ti.,,ao.wa,&�ov/Report,Search.
Office of the Washington State Auditor sao.wa.gov
9
The State Auditor's Office is established in the Washington State Constitution and is part of the
executive branch of state government. The State Auditor is elected by the people of Washington
and serves four-year terms.
We work with state agencies, local governments and the public to achieve our vision of increasing
trust in government by helping governments work better and deliver higher value.
In fulfilling our mission to provide citizens with independent and transparent examinations of how
state and local governments use public funds, we hold ourselves to those same standards by
continually improving our audit quality and operational efficiency, and by developing highly
engaged and committed employees.
As an agency, the State Auditor's Office has the independence necessary to objectively perform
audits, attestation engagements and investigations. Our work is designed to comply with
professional standards as well as to satisfy the requirements of federal, state and local laws. The
Office also has an extensive quality control program and undergoes regular external peer review
to ensure our work meets the highest possible standards of accuracy, objectivity and clarity.
Our audits look at financial information and compliance with federal, state and local laws for all
local governments, including schools, and all state agencies, including institutions of higher
education. In addition, we conduct performance audits and cybersecurity audits of state agencies
and local governments, as well as state whistleblower, fraud and citizen hotline investigations.
The results of our work are available to everyone through the more than 2,000 reports we publish
each year on our website, .o ao.wa.�. Additionally, we share regular news and other
information via an email subscription service and social media channels.
We take our role as partners in accountability seriously. The Office provides training and technical
assistance to governments both directly and through partnerships with other governmental support
organizations.
• Fi1A our audit team
• Regqst public records
• Search BARS Manuals (CiAAE and
cash.), and find resorting templates
• Learn about our training workshops
and on -demand videos
• Discover which governments serve you
enter an address on our map
• Explore public financial data
with the financial lntellience Tool
Other ways to stay in touch
• Main telephone:
(564) 999-0950
• Toll-free Citizen Hotline:
(866) 902-3900
• Email:
e.__rmn h .r.(y)sao.wa. ov
Office of the Washington State Auditor sao.wa.gov
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Financial Statements Audit Report
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Pat McCarthy
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In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, we will make this document available in
alternative formats. For more information, please contact our Office at (564) 999-0950, TDD
Relay at (800) 833-6388, or email our webmaster at vacDb�� as�ter0),s�ao..wa.
Insurance Building, P.O. Box 40021 • Olympia, Washington 98504-0021 • (564) 999-0950 • Pat. McCarthy@sao.wa.gov
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Independent Auditor's Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting and on Compliance
and Other Matters Based on an Audit of Financial Statements Performed in Accordance with
Government Auditing Standards..................................................................................................... 4
Independent Auditor's Report on the Financial Statements............................................................ 7
FinancialSection........................................................................................................................... I I
About the State Auditor's Office................................................................................................... 62
Office of the Washington State Auditor
sao.wa.gov
13
Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting and on Compliance and Other
Matters Based on an Audit of Financial Statements Performed in Accordance with
Government Auditing Standards
City of Port Townsend
January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2021
Mayor and City Council
City of Port Townsend
Port Townsend, Washington
We have audited, in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of
America and the standards applicable to financial audits contained in Government Auditing
Standards, issued by the Comptroller General of the United States, the financial statements of the
City of Port Townsend, as of and for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, and the related
notes to the financial statements, which collectively comprise the City's financial statements, and
have issued our report thereon dated February 13, 2023.
We issued an unmodified opinion on the fair presentation of the City's financial statements in
accordance with its regulatory basis of accounting. We issued an adverse opinion on the fair
presentation with regard to accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of
America (GAAP) because the financial statements are prepared by the City using accounting
practices prescribed by state law and the State Auditor's Budgeting, Accounting and Reporting
System (BARS) Manual described in Note 1, which is a basis of accounting other than GAAP. The
effects on the financial statements of the variances between the basis of accounting described in
Note 1 and accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, although not
reasonably determinable, are presumed to be material.
REPORTING
In planning and performing our audits of the financial statements, we considered the City's internal
control over financial reporting (internal control) as a basis for designing audit procedures that are
appropriate in the circumstances for the purpose of expressing our opinions on the financial
Office of the Washington State Auditor sao.wa.gov
14
statements, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the City's
internal control. Accordingly, we do not express an opinion on the effectiveness of the City's
internal control.
A deficiency in internal control exists when the design or operation of a control does not allow
management or employees, in the normal course of performing their assigned functions, to prevent,
or detect and correct, misstatements on a timely basis. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a
combination of deficiencies, in internal control such that there is a reasonable possibility that a
material misstatement of the City's financial statements will not be prevented, or detected and
corrected on a timely basis. A significant deficiency is a deficiency, or a combination of
deficiencies, in internal control that is less severe than a material weakness, yet important enough
to merit attention by those charged with governance.
Our consideration of internal control was for the limited purpose described above and was not
designed to identify all deficiencies in internal control that might be material weaknesses or
significant deficiencies and therefore, material weaknesses or significant deficiencies may exist
that were not identified.
Given these limitations, during our audit we did not identify any deficiencies in internal control
that we consider to be material weaknesses.
As part of obtaining reasonable assurance about whether the City's financial statements are free
from material misstatement, we performed tests of its compliance with certain provisions of laws,
regulations, contracts and grant agreements, noncompliance with which could have a direct and
material effect on the financial statements. However, providing an opinion on compliance with
those provisions was not an objective of our audit, and accordingly, we do not express such an
opinion.
The results of our tests disclosed no instances of noncompliance or other matters that are required
to be reported under Government Auditing Standards.
The purpose of this report is solely to describe the scope of our testing of internal control and
compliance and the results of that testing, and not to provide an opinion on the effectiveness of the
City's internal control or on compliance. This report is an integral part of an audit performed in
accordance with Government Auditing Standards in considering the City's internal control and
compliance. Accordingly, this communication is not suitable for any other purpose. However, this
Office of the Washington State Auditor sao.wa.gov
15
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report is a matter of public record and its distribution is not limited. It also serves to disseminate
information to the public as a reporting tool to help citizens assess government operations.
Pat McCarthy, State Auditor
Olympia, WA
February 13, 2023
Office of the Washington State Auditor sao.wa.gov
Report on the Audit of the Financial Statements
City of Port Townsend
January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2021
Mayor and City Council
City of Port Townsend
Port Townsend, Washington
We have audited the financial statements of the City of Port Townsend, as of and for the years
ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, and the related notes to the financial statements, as listed in
the financial section of our report.
As described in Note 1, the City has prepared these financial statements to meet the financial
reporting requirements of state law and accounting practices prescribed by the State Auditor's
Budgeting, Accounting and Reporting System (BARS) Manual. Those accounting practices differ
from accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP). The
differences in these accounting practices are also described in Note 1.
In our opinion, the accompanying financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all
material respects, the cash and investments of the City of Port Townsend, and its changes in cash
and investments, for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, on the basis of accounting
described in Note 1.
The financial statements referred to above were not intended to, and in our opinion, they do not,
present fairly, in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of
America, the financial position of the City of Port Townsend, as of December 31, 2021 and 2020,
or the changes in financial position or cash flows thereof for the years then ended, because of the
significance of the matter discussed below.
Office of the Washington State Auditor sao.wa.gov
17
Basis for Unmodified and Adverse Opinions
We conducted our audit in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United
States of America (GARS) and Government Auditing Standards. Our responsibilities under those
standards are further described in the Auditor's Responsibilities for the Audit of the Financial
Statements section of our report. We are required to be independent of the City, and to meet our
other ethical responsibilities, in accordance with the relevant ethical requirements relating to our
audit. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide
a basis for our audit unmodified and adverse opinions.
Auditing standards issued by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
require auditors to formally acknowledge when governments do not prepare their financial
statements, intended for general use, in accordance with GAAP. As described in Note 1 of the
financial statements, the financial statements are prepared by the City in accordance with state law
using accounting practices prescribed by the BARS Manual, which is a basis of accounting other
than accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The effects on the
financial statements of the variances between the regulatory basis of accounting and accounting
principles generally accepted in the United States of America, although not reasonably
determinable, are presumed to be material and pervasive.
Responsibilities of Management for the Financial Statements
Management is responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of these financial statements
in accordance with the financial reporting provisions of state law and the BARS Manual described
in Note 1. This includes determining that the basis of accounting is acceptable for the presentation
of the financial statements in the circumstances. Management is also responsible for the design,
implementation, and maintenance of internal control relevant to the preparation and fair
presentation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud
or error.
In preparing the financial statements, management is required to evaluate whether there are
conditions or events, considered in the aggregate, that raise substantial doubt about the City's
ability to continue as a going concern for twelve months beyond the financial statement date,
including any currently known information that may raise substantial doubt shortly thereafter.
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free
from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor's report that
includes our opinions. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance but is not absolute
assurance and therefore is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with GAAS and
Office of the Washington State Auditor sao.wa.gov
18
Government Auditing Standards will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. The
risk of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than for one resulting
from error, as fraud may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or
the override of internal control. Misstatements are considered material if there is a substantial
likelihood that, individually or in the aggregate, they would influence the judgment made by a
reasonable user based on the financial statements.
Performing an audit in accordance with GAAS and Government Auditing Standards includes the
following responsibilities:
• Exercise professional judgment and maintain professional skepticism throughout the audit;
• Identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether
due to fraud or error, and design and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks.
Such procedures include examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and
disclosures in the financial statements;
• Obtain an understanding of internal control relevant to the audit in order to design audit
procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing
an opinion on the effectiveness of the City's internal control. Accordingly, no such opinion
is expressed;
• Evaluate the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of
significant accounting estimates made by management, as well as evaluate the overall
presentation of the financial statements;
• Conclude whether, in our judgment, there are conditions or events, considered in the
aggregate, that raise substantial doubt about the City's ability to continue as a going
concern for a reasonable period of time; and
• We are required to communicate with those charged with governance regarding, among
other matters, the planned scope and timing of the audit, significant audit findings, and
certain internal control -related matters that we identified during the audit.
Supplementary Information
Our audits were conducted for the purpose of forming opinions on the financial statements that
collectively comprise the City's financial statements. The Schedules of Liabilities are presented
for purposes of additional analysis, as required by the prescribed BARS Manual. These schedules
are not a required part of the financial statements. Such information is the responsibility of
management and was derived from and relates directly to the underlying accounting and other
records used to prepare the financial statements. The information has been subjected to the auditing
procedures applied in the audit of the financial statements and certain additional procedures,
including comparing and reconciling such information directly to the underlying accounting and
Office of the Washington State Auditor sao.wa.gov
19
other records used to prepare the financial statements or to the financial statements themselves,
and other additional procedures in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the
United States of America. In our opinion, the information is fairly stated, in all material respects,
in relation to the financial statements as a whole.
REPORTINGOTHER AUDITIN
STANDARDS
In accordance with Government Auditing Standards, we have also issued our report dated
February 13, 2023 on our consideration of the City's internal control over financial reporting and
on the tests of its compliance with certain provisions of laws, regulations, contracts and grant
agreements and other matters. The purpose of that report is to describe the scope of our testing of
internal control over financial reporting and compliance and the results of that testing, and not to
provide an opinion on the effectiveness of the City's internal control over financial reporting or on
compliance. That report is an integral part of an audit performed in accordance with Government
Auditing Standards in considering the City's internal control over financial reporting and
compliance.
Pat McCarthy, State Auditor
Olympia, WA
February 13, 2023
Office of the Washington State Auditor sao.wa.gov
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City of Port Townsend
January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2021
Fund Resources and Uses Arising from Cash Transactions — 2021
Fund Resources and Uses Arising from Cash Transactions — 2020
Fiduciary Fund Resources and Uses Arising from Cash Transactions — 2021
Fiduciary Fund Resources and Uses Arising from Cash Transactions — 2020
Notes to the Financial Statements — 2021
Notes to the Financial Statements — 2020
Schedule of Liabilities — 2021
Schedule of Liabilities — 2020
Office of the Washington State Auditor sao.wa.gov
21
The State Auditor's Office is established in the Washington State Constitution and is part of the
executive branch of state government. The State Auditor is elected by the people of Washington
and serves four-year terms.
We work with state agencies, local governments and the public to achieve our vision of increasing
trust in government by helping governments work better and deliver higher value.
In fulfilling our mission to provide citizens with independent and transparent examinations of how
state and local governments use public funds, we hold ourselves to those same standards by
continually improving our audit quality and operational efficiency, and by developing highly
engaged and committed employees.
As an agency, the State Auditor's Office has the independence necessary to objectively perform
audits, attestation engagements and investigations. Our work is designed to comply with
professional standards as well as to satisfy the requirements of federal, state and local laws. The
Office also has an extensive quality control program and undergoes regular external peer review
to ensure our work meets the highest possible standards of accuracy, objectivity and clarity.
Our audits look at financial information and compliance with federal, state and local laws for all
local governments, including schools, and all state agencies, including institutions of higher
education. In addition, we conduct performance audits and cybersecurity audits of state agencies
and local governments, as well as state whistleblower, fraud and citizen hotline investigations.
The results of our work are available to everyone through the more than 2,000 reports we publish
each year on our website, ww.w.o� ao..wa:.gov. Additionally, we share regular news and other
information via an email subscription service and social media channels.
We take our role as partners in accountability seriously. The Office provides training and technical
assistance to governments both directly and through partnerships with other governmental support
organizations.
• 1[ ind your audit team
• Request ubiic records
• Search BARS Manuals (3AAE and
cash), and findrepoing templates
• Learn about our fraying workshops
and on-demmd videos
• Discover which governments serve X7eNIN
enter an address on our map
• Explore public financial data
with the Financial Intellivence Tool
Other ways to stay in touch
• Main telephone:
(564) 999-0950
• Toll-free Citizen Hotline:
(866) 902-3900
• Email:
webmaster(y7,sao.wa.Doy
Office of the Washington State Auditor sao.wa.gov
22
2020 Summary of Uncorrected Items
The City incorrectly accrued transactions outside, of the, 20
Fund Resources and Uses Arising day open period (RCW 35A.33.151D) back to 2020. This
from Cash Transactions (C-4) overstated expenditures and understated lending cash by
$216,278
2021 Summary of Uncorrected Items
StAteme, ht 1, S'dhodul,6
Doscription''
The, City incorrectIly accrued,transactions not related to
the prior period or outside of the 20 day open period
Fund Resources and Uses Arising
(R a+' 35A.33.1510). This caused beginning cash, to be,
from Cash Transactions (C-4)
understated $216,278, expendituresto be understated by
$47,03,5 and ending cash to be understated by $169,242.
There is an unexplained difference, in, encling cashi the
financiall statements report $4,400 less in ending cash,
than identified iin, our reconciliation.
Fund Resources and Uses Arising
from Cash Transactions (C-4)
The, City was not able, to provide support or inforniation, to,
expiain this, difference. We, cannot confirm whether this
difference may be due to, valid reconciling items or
poss 1 bi e, error.
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LETTER OF REPRESENTATION TO BE TYPED ON CLIENT LETTERHEAD
February 13, 2023
Office of the Washington State Auditor
3200 Capitol Blvd
P.O. Box 40031
Olympia, WA 98504-0031
To the Office of the Washington State Auditor:
We are providing this letter in connection with your audit of the City of Port Townsend for the
period from January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2021. Representations are in relation to matters
existing during or subsequent to the audit period up to the date of this letter.
Certain representations in this letter are described as being limited to matters that are significant
or material. Information is considered significant or material if it is probable that it would change
or influence the judgment of a reasonable person.
We confirm, to the best of our knowledge and belief, having made appropriate inquires to be able
to provide our representations, the following representations made to you during your audit. If we
subsequently discover information that would change our representations related to this period, we
will notify you in a timely manner.
General Representations:
1. We have provided you with unrestricted access to people you wished to speak with and
made available all relevant and requested information of which we are aware, including:
a. Financial records and related data.
b. Minutes of the meetings of the governing body or summaries of actions of recent
meetings for which minutes have not yet been prepared.
c. Other internal or external audits, examinations, investigations or studies that might
concern the objectives of the audit and the corrective action taken to address significant
findings and recommendations.
d. Communications from regulatory agencies, government representatives or others
concerning possible noncompliance, deficiencies in internal control or other matters
that might concern the objectives of the audit.
e. Related party relationships and transactions.
f. Results of our internal assessment of business risks and risks related to financial
reporting, compliance and fraud.
2. We acknowledge our responsibility for compliance with requirements related to
confidentiality of certain information, and have notified you whenever records or data
containing information subject to any confidentiality requirements were made available.
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3. We acknowledge our responsibility for compliance with applicable laws, regulations,
contracts and grant agreements.
4. We have identified and disclosed all laws, regulations, contracts and grant agreements that
could have a direct and material effect on the determination of financial statement amounts,
including legal and contractual provisions for reporting specific activities in separate funds.
5. We have complied with all material aspects of laws, regulations, contracts and grant
agreements.
6. We acknowledge our responsibility for establishing and maintaining effective internal
controls over compliance with applicable laws and regulations and safeguarding of public
resources, including controls to prevent and detect fraud.
7. We have established adequate procedures and controls to provide reasonable assurance of
safeguarding public resources and compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
8. We have no knowledge of any loss of public funds or assets or other illegal activity, or
any allegations of fraud or suspected fraud involving management or employees.
9. In accordance with RCW 43.09.200, all transactions have been properly recorded in the
financial records, notwithstanding immaterial uncorrected items referenced below.
Additional representations related to the financial statements:
10. We acknowledge our responsibility for fair presentation of the financial statements and
believe financial statements are fairly presented in accordance with the Budgeting,
Accounting and Reporting Standards Manual (BARS Manual), which is a comprehensive
basis of accounting other than accounting principles generally accepted in the United States
of America.
11. We acknowledge our responsibility for establishing and maintaining effective internal
control over financial reporting.
12. The financial statements properly classify all funds and activities.
13. Revenues are appropriately classified by fund and account in accordance with the BARS
Manual.
14. Expenses are appropriately classified by fund and account, and allocations have been made
on a reasonable basis.
15. Ending cash and investments are properly classified as nonspendable, restricted,
committed, assigned, and unassigned.
16. Significant assumptions we used in making accounting estimates are reasonable.
W,
17. The following have been properly classified, reported and disclosed in the financial
statements. as applicable:
a. Interfund, internal, and intra -entity activity and balances.
b. Related -party transactions, including sales, purchases, loans, transfers, leasing
arrangements, and guarantees, and amounts receivable from or payable to related
parties.
c. Joint ventures and other related organizations.
d. Guarantees under which the government is contingently liable.
e. All events occurring subsequent to the fiscal year end through the date of this letter that
would require adjustment to, or disclosure in, the financial statements.
f. Effects of all known actual or possible litigation, claims, assessments, violations of
laws, regulations, contracts or grant agreements and other loss contingencies.
18. We have accurately disclosed to you all known actual or possible pending or threatened
litigation, claims or assessments whose effects should be considered when preparing the
financial statements. We have also accurately disclosed to you the nature and extent of our
consultation with outside attorneys concerning litigation, claims and assessments.
19. We acknowledge our responsibility to include all necessary and applicable disclosures
required by the BARS Manual, including:
a. Description of the basis of accounting, summary of significant accounting policies and
how this differs from Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).
b. Disclosures similar to those required by GAAP to the extent they are applicable to items
reported in the financial statements.
c. Any additional disclosures beyond those specifically required by the BARS Manual
that may be necessary for the statements to be fairly presented.
20. We acknowledge our responsibility for reporting supplementary information (the Schedule
of Liabilities) in accordance with applicable requirements and believe supplementary
information is fairly presented, in both form and content in accordance with those
requirements.
21. We have disclosed to you all significant changes to the methods of measurement and
presentation of supplementary information, reasons for any changes and all significant
assumptions or interpretations underlying the measurement or presentation.
22. We believe the effects of uncorrected financial statement misstatements summarized in the
schedule of uncorrected items provided to us by the auditor are not material, both
individually and in the aggregate, to the financial statements taken as a whole.
23. We acknowledge our responsibility not to publish any document containing the audit report
with any change in the financial statements, supplementary and other information
W.
referenced in the auditor's report. We will contact the auditor if we have any needs for
publishing the audit report with different content included.
Connie Anderson Ron Logghe
Director of Finance and Technology Services Finance Manager
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