STANWOOD — When the state Auditor’s Office thanks a city for a job well done, that’s something to be proud of.
Stanwood city finance director Crystil Collins received a thumbs-up from the state in reports released to the public this week.
“It’s good to have the state give us the reassurance that we are doing what we are supposed to do,” Collins said.
The state does its audits annually. In the previous five audits the city of Stanwood has been free of errors, the state report said.
Audits are not something to be feared, however, because often city officials receive helpful recommendations on how to better handle city affairs, Collins said,
Stanwood maintains good accountability in its record keeping, policies and procedures, the Auditor’s Office said. That’s a great compliment for any small municipality, Collins said.
The city runs its meetings in compliance with the Open Public Meetings Act, it does a good job of utility billing, safeguarding city assets, paying its own bills and eliminating conflicts of interest, the state report showed.
In the audit of the city’s financial statements, the state gave an unqualified assessment, which means that no errors were found, Collins said.
The state examined revenues, investments, expenses, debt and financial statement preparation and presentation, she said.
“We met all the state requirements,” she said.
The city of Stanwood has an annual budget of about $25 million, employs about 55 people and serves about 5,400 citizens. Services include fire prevention, ambulance, streets, parks, social services and water, drainage and sewer utilities.
Reporter Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427 or gfiege@heraldnet.com.
Audit info
For more information about the state’s audit of the city of Stanwood, go online to www.sao.wa.gov, click on audit report search and do a search for Stanwood.
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