A new audit from the State Auditor’s Office finds that the City of Chewelah in Stevens County “did not have documentation to support the methods it used to finance general government activities with restricted revenues.”

The law does allow the City to charge utilities for overhead costs and to transfer unanticipated utility surpluses to the general fund. But here, in addition to shifting such funds without documentation, the City’s annual budget also “includes a monthly transfer from the Electric Fund to General Fund…For fiscal years 2010 and 2011, the City transferred $210,000 and $250,000, respectively from the Electric Fund to the General Fund.”

This was one of 28 audits released this week that also found significant deficiencies at the Spokane Regional Health District, North Region Emergency Medical Services and Trauma Care Council. and Sunnyside School District No. 201.

For further details on any of these audits see http://portal.sao.wa.gov/SubscriptionServices/RecentAuditReportSubscriptions.aspx?CID=8247 .

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