Tuesday, July 11, 2017

Port of Bellingham Audit Completed

By Karen Robes Meeks

The Washington State Auditor’s Office has given the Port of Bellingham a financial clean bill of health in its 2016 Port audit. The state auditor’s office, which annually reviews public agencies to ensure proper spending of tax dollars, found no deficiencies in the port’s financial records.

Port Finance Director Tamara Sobjack is happy with the results.

“The Port is dedicated to responsible and transparent financial management and the results of the audit reflect those values,” she said. “Our employees take great pride in working for a fiscally responsible municipal government. Maintaining accurate financial records is a core function of all Port operations and activities.”

About $23.3 million in operations revenue and more than $7 million in taxes were collected by the port in 2016. The facility also spent $23.4 million on capital assets and boosted net assets by more than $19 million.