Port’s audit could take two more months

Published 8:02 am Tuesday, April 23, 2024

NAHCOTTA — An audit of the Port of the Peninsula by the Washington State Auditor’s Office is moving at a snail’s pace and is nearly three months past its original anticipated completion. The reason has not been completely made public.

WSAO began the audit in mid-December 2023 after the agency selected the port for further review. The review evaluates the port’s financial records, compliance with public policy and public records compliance from Jan. 1, 2021, through Sept. 31, 2022.

“At this point, we’re looking at publishing in June,” Adam Wilson, assistant director of communications at the state auditor’s office, said. “We’re working with the port to finalize the audit results. We gave them some time to provide missing information, but now we are starting the work of writing our report.

“Just an FYI, standard auditing procedure requires a few steps during and after writing the report. That includes giving the entity the opportunity to formally respond to our findings. That’s why there can be a long lag time between starting report writing and finally publishing the completed audit.”

A lawsuit against the port filed by Pacific Seafood on Oct. 9, 2023, is still putting along through the legal process in Pacific County Superior Court. Judge Donald J. Richter extended a temporary restraining order against the port for a third time on April 19.

Over the past two years, the port experienced issues monitoring its finances and complying with state laws — arguments at the center of the lawsuit.