The tide of financial scrutiny turned on Chester County auditors recently, but an independent review into the work of public servants in the Chester County Internal Audit Department passed with flying colors.

In fact, for the fourth consecutive time, the local auditors ranked among the five most elite in the entire state for upholding the highest Association of Local Government Auditors standards of internal quality control.

“This distinction assures Chester County residents that our office provides honest and credible reviews of county government operations and spending at a time when it is critical that taxpayer dollars are monitored for appropriate and effective uses,” Controller Norman MacQueen said in announcing the commendation.

The once-every-three-years review inspects the county’s policies and procedures, documents related to independence, training and development of auditing staff, and internal monitoring procedures.

The analysis applied to government operations that occurred between January 2012 and December 2014.