OSA Weekly Update - 9/11/2026
1. Message from Auditor Blaha
2. Results: Crop Art Bean Count Contest
3. Meeting: Fire Relief Association Working Group
4. Relief Associations: Fire State Aid Deadline
5. Avoiding Pitfall: Employee Tips
6. Job Openings
1. Message from Auditor Blaha
2. Results: Crop Art Bean Count Contest
Thank you to everyone who submitted a guess for this year’s bean count. Auditor Blaha has officially counted a total of 5520 beans used to make her Minnesota State Fair Crop Art Competition entry. We had great guesses from both OSA staff and our social media followers. Our top three bean counters are:
Cory Sens — 5527
Bethany Nagan — 5559 (Facebook Submission)
Kristie J — 5401 (OSA Weekly Update Submission)
Congratulations to our winners!
3. Meeting: Fire Relief Association Working Group
The State Auditor’s Fire Relief Association Working Group will be meeting on Thursday, September 17, from 1 – 2:30 p.m., with options to attend in person at our office in Saint Paul or remotely via Teams. Meetings also will be livestreamed with recordings and meeting materials available on the Working Group page of the OSA website.
4. Relief Associations: Fire State Aid Deadline
The first deadline for fire relief associations to be certified as eligible for receipt of their 2026 fire and supplemental state aid is September 15. If your relief association has not yet submitted its 2025 reporting-year forms to the OSA or has been notified by the OSA’s Pension Division staff that additional information is needed, please provide the forms or information as soon as possible.
View a relief association's reporting status in our Fire Relief Association Reporting Compliance Dashboard.
5. Avoiding Pitfall: Employee Tips
Studies show that employee fraud is usually found through a tip. Often, the tip comes from another employee. Public entities should keep communication open. This helps employees feel that their concerns will be heard. Appropriate action should then be taken in response to these tips.
For more information on employee theft, read the latest study from the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE). It is called Occupation Fraud 2026: A Report to the Nations. Key findings of the report are available on the ACFE website.
The full Avoiding Pitfall is available on the OSA website.
6. Job Openings
Local Government Auditor, Senior (Marshall)
The OSA is hiring a Local Government Auditor, Senior (Marshall). This Senior level auditor position is responsible for assisting in the audits of local governments by ensuring that appropriate procedures are performed that are necessary to determine the reliability of clients’ financial statements and compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.
The job posting will close on September 24, 2026.
Office and Administrative Specialist, Intermediate (St. Paul)
The OSA is hiring a Office and Administrative Specialist, Intermediate (St. Paul). The position responsibilities include the administrative process of formatting Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Adobe Acrobat files to produce audit and other reports for clarity and to meet accessibility requirements. The position will also provide organizational and technical support to division staff for the completion, release, and publication of reports and other documents for the OSA Audit Practice Division.
The job posting will close on September 24, 2026.
Local Government Auditor (Moorhead)
The OSA is hiring a Local Government Auditor (Moorhead). As a team member of the Audit Practice Division, this entry-level auditor position assists in the audits of Minnesota local governments by performing procedures necessary to determine the reliability of clients’ financial statements and compliance with legal and federal requirements.
The job posting will close on September 24, 2026.
Local Government Auditors (St. Paul)
The OSA is hiring up to two a Local Government Auditor (St. Paul). As a team member of the Audit Practice Division, this entry-level auditor position assists in the audits of Minnesota local governments by performing procedures necessary to determine the reliability of clients’ financial statements and compliance with legal and federal requirements.
The job posting will close on September 28, 2026.