Public Records Requests

should be just that simple....

The City of Port Angeles has sold used vehicles, and equipment. I just wanted to find out how much we sold these for, and IF the money went towards new equipment. I asked this question in JULY.

It shouldn’t be as dramatic as a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat.

I found lists of equipment declared surplus on various City Council Meeting minutes. I asked a simple question during an open public meeting. I asked after the meeting. I got a blank stares. (This was before the tractor issue.)

Here is the question I asked: How much money will we sell this for?

At home I searched on the City of Port Angeles online “transparency” tools Open Books, Open Payroll, Open Budget. Still, I didn’t find an answer. I went to the various government auction sites to see if I could look up past sales. I can’t find that either.

The government surplus sales sites where I looked: USA.gov, GSAauctions.gov, des.wa.gov, govplanet.com, publicsurplus.com, govdeals.com, municibid.com, govplanet.com, govliquidation.com, allsurplus.com, usa.gov, govbid.com, or any of the other online government auction sites. So, I was pretty sure we must sell through an third-party auction (Stokes Auction, Ritchie Brothers, CWS, Capital Auto Auction, SCA Auction, ADESA or ACV).

So, I did my due diligence.

It was time for a public information request regarding this equipment. My request was simple: I would like to know (or direct me) where in the last 5 years, have we sold our used vehicles and equipment (which online site, or to whom we send the equipment for resale,or other third-party, and/or direct sale). AND, I would like to know how much money the city reclaimed from sales of this “surplus” equipment in the last 5 years. Where is this reclaimed income entered in our budget, and how is it accounted for?

I’ve done accounting (with large corporate numbers). I was sure this was an easy search. An honest question. I hoped it would be a quick answer.

It is like buying a new car, with a trade-in. Lets say you want to buy a $20k car, and your trade-in is worth $10k. Naturally, it’s going to matter because your loan amount (or purchase price) depends on what that trade-in value is. Here we are buying new pickup truck for $80k, what is the trade in? This matters.

Sure, for a $156Million dollar budget, maybe it’s just pennies. But, those pennies add up.

I put in a public records request on July 17, 2025, and, a few weeks later I get a reply (edited for clarity):

PREPARED 07/28/2025, 13:50:28 ACCOUNT ACTIVITY LISTING

FISCAL YEAR: 2020 THRU: 2024

CITY OF PORT ANGELES

FUND 501 Equipment Services

501-7630-395.10-00 Disp of Capital Assets / Proceeds Sale Gen FA

2688 0066949 STOKES AUCTION 1,570.62 KBUTLER 07/23/20

2135 0054094 2001 DODGE RAM 8,216.24 SSAIZ 06/11/20

1562 0040293 DETAIL 759.50 KBUTLER 04/30/20

1421 0037081 RITCHIE BROS AUCTION 21,545.00 ACYGANOW 04/20/20

3940 0092836 STOKES AUCTION 1,348.00 MANDERSEN 10/12/23

1583 0041773 STOKES AUCTION 10.05 MANDERSEN 05/04/23 01

1583 0041774 STOKES AUCTION 12,073.24 MANDERSEN 05/04/23

1563 0041267 STOKES AUCTION APRIL 31,456.24 RPERRY 05/03/23

1563 0041268 STOKES AUCTION 1,920.00 RPERRY 05/03/23

972 0027208 PARKS VEHICLE 1887 10,500.00 RPERRY 03/21/23

972 0027214 STOKES AUCTION JAN 2023 19,363.74 RPERRY 03/21/23

4761 0113818 STOKES AUCTION 6,072.48 KJACOBI 12/10/24

4057 0099157 AUCTION PROCEEDS-RITCHIE 154,615.00 KJACOBI 10/23/24

GRAND TOTAL 269,450.11

Gee, $269,450.11 is a lot of money. Maybe not in the grand scheme of things, but it matters. If I focus on JUST 10/2024 ($154,615.00) or all of 2024 ($160,687.48). I assumed that I would be able to locate a corresponding entry in our Open Budget, shouldn’t I? Perhaps in Misc Revenue?

But, I don’t see it.

Now, I already have an issue with the Open Books because it only shows one side of the books – the checks paid out. There is no associated money coming in, or to what departments the money may go to. It’s hard to actually see the full spectrum of in/out of funds. Its still a good tool, with a few quirks. I look for “501” (the fund that the printout noted).

I look and look and look.

So, where did the money go? Was it put into the City of Port Angeles General Fund? How do I find fund 501? Why can’t I find it? Was it added into other cost centers but, I can’t find those listings (another drawback of the transparency system, perhaps a flaw).

This shouldn’t be a difficult search.

What is the mechanism in place to put it into the right accounts receivable (general fund or individual account). And given that this is equipment – there should be clear inventory records. I was certain that I just wasn’t seeing it. But, it should be clear.

It’s nothing mystical. It’s not rocket-science. All accounting of assets is the same. Once equipment is removed from the depreciation list (the list that spreads the asset’s cost over its “useful life”) it should be noted in the records.

Asset disposal impacts the financial statements and tax liabilities. (I don’t know if the City of Port Angeles uses a straight-line or double-declining depreciation schedule, and it’s irrelevant to my query.) It’s always the same – you show the asset’s cost minus its salvage (residual) value.

The basic formula: (asset cost – salvage value) / useful life = annual depreciation expense.

This disposal should be shown as a clear entry on the books. Something easy to find. If it were used as an offset for new equipment purchased, that would be a clear entry, too. It would lower the price we, the citizens, would pay for new. Just makes sense that you account for the residual, salvage value.

How much did you get? Where is the money? Did it go towards the replacement?

If it is a 100% loss, that should be noted. If there were value received, a gain (it’s called Depreciation Recapture) that should be clearly recorded. (It’s black/red, as numbers always are.) It really IS as simple as 1-2-3. 1.) The accounting journal entry removes the asset’s cost from the books; 2.) Accumulated depreciation is removed; 3.) Gain or Loss is recorded. I put in a subsequent information request for details.

My updated public records request was for three wishes information points. I wanted:

1.) Stokes Auction’s contract to sell surplus FOR the City of Port Angeles equipment/vehicles a.) settlement statement(s) with dollar amount received, and, b.) to whom was the recipient of funds

2.) Ritchie Bros’ contract to sell surplus FOR the City of Port Angeles equipment/vehicles a.) settlement statement(s) with dollar amount received, and, b.) to whom was the recipient of funds

3.) Accounts Receivable statements that coincide with these statements, to show the funds received by the city. a.) to what department, account, and/or cost center these funds were accounted to -- and b.) how noted.

My reply from the city:

This estimate is based on the complexity of the request. We will need to identify a team who will help respond to this request. The team is necessary as I may not have direct access to these records and I will need the help from my team to locate some of these records. Additionally, we may need to ask clarifying questions.

Once the records are collected, we will review them prior to release. We may need to process this request in installments so that we may be able to deliver records as they are collected, so that we may provide the fullest assistance possible. We expect to provide a first installment on or around September 12, 2025. We estimate we will complete this request on or around October 31, 2025. This estimate is based on the number of record requests we are responding to simultaneously to this one, while also attending to our daily tasks. Should we need to extend this request, we will communicate that information to you along with a new delivery date. We will do our very best to stay on schedule in order to provide you the fullest assistance possible so we may complete your request in a timely manner. If your records are ready prior to the date above, they will be released as soon as we are able.

I understand you were not satisfied with the timing of your last request. I would like to make you aware of the challenges PRA requests pose to the City. Port Angeles does not have a full-time Public Records Officer (PRO) or staff. I am the PRO and am also the City Clerk. I have to balance my time between my duties as the City Clerk and duties as the PRO. Additionally, my “staff” consists of two members of the support staff of the City Attorney’s office. As with myself, these two staff members are called upon to allocate their time between their PRA duties and their City Attorney duties. There is currently a backlog of PRA requests. I will continue to ensure that all requestors [sic] are treated fairly, and the response times are within the guidelines provided by the PRA body of law and the Port Angeles Municipal Code.

First, that is a very complex, and long-winded answer for something that should be very obvious. And, then…

<<<Crickets.>>>

So, I gave them a nudge a few days ago. I receive this reply from the City Clerk:

Following up. I spoke to someone in Finance. Would you be willing to provide your phone number to me? I have a member of our Finance team that can give you a call and go over the details of your request. A conversation may help get to the bottom of what it is you are looking to learn.

From there, if there are follow up documents that should be provided, we will send those after your phone call.

I don’t want a phone call. It’s not a phone call thing. It’s not a discussion. I just want to know what happened to the money from the sales of these city assets.

I’m getting concerned.