The Washington State Auditor’s Office recently completed the annual audit of the City of Bellingham for 2004. For the fifth year in a row, the City's 2004 Audit report contained no audit findings. The Auditor gave the City a “clean” opinion on its financial statements, which means our report is considered to be “fairly presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles”.
Required by State law, the audit was conducted over a three-month period at a cost of about $100,000. The audit includes a review of the City’s 2004 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR), our internal controls over financial processes, compliance with finance-related federal, state and local laws and a “single audit” of federal and state grants.
Preparation of the CAFR requires significant staff resources and technical expertise of Finance staff and other City staff. Achieving a clean audit could not be accomplished without the efforts of diligent staff throughout the City and support of the entire management team. Further appreciation is extended to the Mayor and City Council for their encouragement, interest and support in conducting the financial operations of the City in a responsible manner.
For more information, visit the Finance Department website or contact the Finance Director.
