Auditor's office gives ML passing marks

City above board on all audited areas, WSAO says

MOSES LAKE — The Washington State Auditor's Office has released its 2003 audit of the city of Moses Lake, stating the city has done a good job of obeying internal and state guidelines.

"The city has complied with state laws and regulations and its own policies and procedures in the areas we examined," the report read. "Internal controls were adequate to safeguard public assets."

The 2003 audit looked randomly at a myriad of aspects of city business.

These areas included cash receipting, payroll, purchase of goods and services, conflict of interest laws, ethics, bidding and contracts, open public meetings, travel expenses, cash and investments, long-term debts and expenditures.

Every year, the state auditor's office looks at different things. In 2001, the audit revealed the city did not follow an appropriate procedure in purchasing real property, as it was not approved in an open public meeting.

"We said, 'we will do better next time,'" Gavinski said. "In 2002, the issue went away and has not appeared since." The 2002 audit report congratulated the city in solving the issue quickly.

If audits reveal repeated problems, the state's attorney general's office may get involved in order to seek compliance.

Gavinski said the responsibility for an impeccable audit belonged to the people in the city's different departments.

"I am very pleased," he said. "I give credit to all the departments for the fact that we end up with an audit of this sort."