Small Agency Services Bulletin - Jan. 2025
| Important Dates | Important Messages | Small Agency Financial Services News | Travel Tips | Contact Us |
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Important Dates
Jan. 31
- 2024 W-2s will be distributed. They will also be available electronically in MyPortal.
- Sick leave buyout options are due back to DES Payroll. If employees opt for sick leave buyout, it will be paid on the February 10 paycheck.
Feb. 6
- To reflect in your agency's January monthly financial statements, all invoices and travel reimbursement requests are due to Accounts Payable.
Apr. 27
- Wrap up of the 2025 "long" Legislative Session. The Legislature will work through the state holidays (Martin Luther King Jr. Day & President's Day) as well.
Important Messages
Legislative Session is underway
January 13 was the first day of the 2025 Legislative Session. Please remember that agencies have three days to respond to fiscal notes during session, with a priority for fiscal note requests. Agencies that have experienced staff turnover are reminded to make sure appropriate staff have access to the systems necessary to the fiscal note process.
- Keep up on What's Happening on the Floor
- View Legislative Proceedings
Electronic IRS 2024 Form W-2
Electronic copies are now available in MyPortal (instructions to access your W-2). Paper copies will be mailed soon and should be received by mid-February. Contact the DES Payroll Office to obtain a copy if an employee did not receive their Form W-2 and do not have access to MyPortal.
New 2025 Form W-4
The IRS 2025 Form W-4 Employee's Withholding Certificate is now available. Only those hired in 2025 and anyone making withholding changes during 2025 will need to complete the 2025 Form W-4.
Here are links to the forms:
AFRS Table Roll Coming Again
The AFRS table roll is the process by which current biennium (2025) AFRS program index, appropriation index, organization index, and descriptor tables are duplicated for the new biennium (2027), eliminating the need for agencies to rekey hundreds or thousands of records. The table roll is completed in phases with the first phase planned for April 2025 and the final phase, expenditure authority related tables, occurring after the Governor signs the 2025-27 budgets.
Fiscal officers should expect an email in February asking them to verify and/or update their agency-assigned contact information. See the full article in OFM’s Winter 2025 The Connection.
Department of Revenue – Unclaimed Property
Each year businesses and state agencies report unclaimed money or property to the Department of Revenue (DOR). Individuals or businesses can check to see if DOR is holding money or property that belongs to them. Check it out and Claim Your Cash.
Small Agency Financial Services News
DES SAFS Budget is Working on Projections
Your DES SAFS Budget Analysts is working on budget projections for the remainder of FY25. It is important that each agency partner with their Budget Analyst to incorporate spending plans into the budget.
The following items should be included in budget projections:
- Changes to revenue expectations
- Staff hires, vacancies, retirement leave cashouts
- Unexpected expenditures (e.g., unemployment, attorney general, auditor, repairs and maintenance)
- Infrequent expenditures (e.g., annual subscription or insurance payments)
- Additional travel or meetings
- Moving expenses, rent increases
- Future investments
SAFS (Small Agency Financial Services) Team Updates
Did you know? Your DES financial support team consists of ALL of our SAFS team members. Even though you may work with specific SAFS members regularly, other SAFS members often step in to assist and provide continuity of services. We would like you to know about our whole SAFS team. Below is a list of each work group within SAFS, the members you may hear from, and recent news or a message from each team.
Accounts Payable
Team Members:
- Diana Huynh - Supervisor
- Rachel Neuman - Sr. Lead
- Riley Hyland - Sr. Lead
- Bryn Parker - Lead
- Kaler Zoucha - Lead
- Diana Dikhamindzhiya - Accounting Analyst
- Kyler Oblad - Accounting Analyst
- Forest Pope - Accounting Analyst
Team Message: As we set new goals for the upcoming year, we look forward to our continued partnership. Happy New Year!
Accounts Receivable
Team Members:
- Betti Bartoldo - Supervisor
- Stacey Millsap - Sr. Lead
- Jenifer Mobley - Accounting Analyst
- Brandy Leitgeb - Accounting Analyst
- Sarah Palazzo - Cash Receipts Specialist
- Sean Garcia - Cash Receipts Specialist
Team Message: Happy New Year! We're grateful for you and look forward to a successful 2025 together.
Budget
Team Members:
- Diann Lewallen
- Seth Flory
- Ian Shelley
- Christina Shearer
- Annis Jones
Team Message: A New Year means new opportunities to grow and new challenges to conquer. We look forward to supporting you in the year ahead. Happy New Year!
Payroll
Team Members:
- Rachel Rodgers – Manager
- Molly Guinan – Supervisor
- Kayla Preble – Lead
- Nichole Dahlin – Processor
- Amber Roberts (covering for Vanno Non) – Processor
- Adam Oskvig – Out of State Taxes
- Treyson Ramos – Retirement Specialist
- Brandy Butterfield – Benefits Specialist
- Malachi Riedl - Time and Attendance Processor
Team Message: Happy New Year! May your day be filled with laughter and cheer all throughout the year. We're honored to serve you.
Administrative Assistance
Team Members:
- Danelle Guerin
- Makaila Barbella
Team Message: Happy New Year! We're excited to see what we can accomplish together in the upcoming year.
DES Accounts Payable statistics for Dec. 2024 (34 agencies served)
| Invoices received from agency | 2,019 | 78.47% | $19,197,027 |
| Invoices paid on delegated authority | 409 | 15.90% | $1,274,956 |
| Travel requests paid through TEMS | 137 | 5.32% | $45,190 |
| Payments reissued (SOL, Lost Warrant) | 8 | 0.31% | $40,091 |
| Total payments processed | 2,573 | 100% | $20,557,264 |
| Turnaround days | 3.76 |
Quarterly DES Accounts Receivable statistics for Oct., Nov., Dec. (30 agencies served)
| Invoices produced | 673 | $4,705,184 |
| Revenue recorded | 474 | $12,664,580 |
| Expenditure reductions recorded | 192 | $4,356,666 |
| Accounts Receivable FTEs completing the work | 2.22 |
DES Payroll statistics for Oct., Nov., Dec. (Monthly Average) (42 agencies served)
| Total employees paid | 1,833.67 per pay period |
| New hires/rehires | 7.83 per pay period |
| Separations | 4.5 per pay period |
| Transfers | 4.17 per pay period |
| Supplemental payments/walk throughs | 0.83 per pay period |
| Overpayments | 3.67 per pay period |
Travel Tips
Per diem taxation
Per diem is taxable and will be included on the employee's W-2. When utilizing the Travel and Expense Management Systems (TEMS), the meals must be marked as taxable when applicable.
As always, if you have any questions regarding travel: call SAFS AP at 360-407-8183 or email travel.safs@des.wa.gov.
Contact Us
If you would like to know what budget analyst, payroll analyst and HR business partner is assigned to your agency, see our Agency Assignments webpage.
If you would like to get contact information for DES SAFS and HR staff, see our Contacts webpage.
If you have suggestions or feedback about the Small Agency Services Bulletin, please send your comments to SmallAgencyBulletin@des.wa.gov.