Vancouver gets clean audit from state

The city of Vancouver achieved a clean audit from the state of Washington on Monday.

The reports on the citywide audit for Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2009, by the Washington State Auditor’s Office, is an independent assessment on the city’s effectiveness in protecting public assets and meeting state laws and regulations.

“Achieving this clean audit after an intense financial review is like getting a clean bill of health after a cardio stress test,” Chief Financial Officer Lloyd Tyler said in a statement. “It shows Vancouver is clearly doing the right things to keep government working in a responsible manner for our citizens.”

Tyler said meeting or exceeding standards for accountability, compliance and financial reporting is essential to all of the city’s operations.

The state audits Vancouver annually, and a clean audit with no findings is the best result possible for state and local governments. This most recent audit covered the city’s full financial statements, as well as grants related to transportation highway planning, construction and domestic violence. In addition, the audit also scrutinized a long list of special areas of accountability that included travel disbursements; open public meeting requirements; and police department citations, evidence and reporting.

The city has received the state’s Certificate of Achievement in Excellence in Financial Reporting award for more than 25 years.