It's already being discussed in the Open Thread, but Tony Fabri was the choice of the Democratic Committeemen for the position of County Auditor to replace Mike Frerichs.
1. Should Republicans vote for him?
2. Is he a good candidate for election?
3. Will he do a good job as Auditor?
4. Does anyone care about 3?
5. Is there merit to eliminating this office?
1. yes
2. i'd say that depends on how he performs as auditor for the next two years
3. tony has his heart in the right place. the question is whether he really intends to take this on with everything he has, or if he'll give a half-hearted effort.
4. yes. the taxpayers do and should care that this oversight position is performed well. when it is, we all benefit.
5. no. i know republicans who thought laurel prussing did a good job as auditor, and there are certainly dems who thought so as well. this job can be useful and enabling for efficient county government if done right.
I'm making my Fabri post into a comment here, rather than have two competing threads.
And, to answer your questions, Mark:
4. Yes.
5. There is now.
If I asked Fabri what exactly an auditor does.... would he be able to tell me?
Also, what are the qualifications of an auditor?
Also, what are the qualifications of an auditor?
Registered voter.
"Also, what are the qualifications of an auditor?"
I thought one had to be really, really tall. And have an Ivy-league education.
:-)
1. Should Republicans vote for him? If he has sound auditing experience
2. Is he a good candidate for election? Again if he has sound auditing experience
3. Will he do a good job as Auditor? Again if he has sound auditing experience
4. Does anyone care about 3? If either the people or the County Board Cared about auditing, the County Nursing home would have opened on time and within budget.
5. Is there merit to eliminating this office? Yes, this office is like the coal man's position on a train, all cost and no benefit.
Eliminating the office would be difficult - 55 ILCS 5/3-1001 mandates the office for all counties between 75,000 and 3,000,000 inhabitants.
Talk to the General Assembly about it.
If you doubled the pay, you could get someone actually qualified for the office to run. As it is, accountants get paid too much to go thru the hassle of campaigning for election to an office that is a pay cut.
Careful with your language ThoughtPolice. There is no mandate for the Auditor. Here is the statute.
In all counties containing less than 3,000,000 and over 75,000 inhabitants by the last federal census, there is created the office of county auditor,
However, the Illinois Constitution says:
(c) Each county shall elect a sheriff, county clerk and treasurer and may elect or appoint a coroner, recorder, assessor, auditor and such other officers as provided by law or by county ordinance. Except as changed pursuant to this Section, elected county officers shall be elected for terms of four years at general elections as provided by law. Any office may be created or eliminated and the terms of office and manner of selection changed by county-wide referendum.
Average salary for an accountant in Champaign is about 42K which is less than CC pays the auditor who is usually not an accountant.
According to the 2006 Champaign County Budget, the elected Auditor's salary was $55,891, a 5% increase over the 2005 salary.
That is the same salary as the Recorder of Deeds and Coroner. The County Clerk, Circuit Clerk and Treasurer earn over $60,000 in salary plus state stipends. The Sheriff earns over $81,000 plus state stipends and the State's Attorney earns $144,684.
"Average salary for an accountant in Champaign is about 42K"
From where does that figure come? I would think U of I accounting grads would average close to that in starting salary.
http://www.salaryexpert.com/seco/index.cfm?cobrandid=90
Just put in Champaign, IL and get the report.
If the offices of Treasurer and Auditor were to be combined in any organization it would make a mockery of the concept of "auditing".
Auditor
–noun
1. a person appointed and authorized to examine accounts and accounting records, compare the charges with the vouchers, verify balance sheet and income items, and state the result.
It goes way beyond the scope of what are normally considered to be the duties of an auditor in the private sector, and includes functions that would normally be the domain of a bookkeeper or accountant. Here are the state statutes:
Sec. 3‑1005. Duties of auditor. The duties of the county auditor shall be to:
(a) Audit all claims against the county, and recommend to the county board the payment or rejection of all claims presented.
(b) Collect, analyze and preserve statistical and financial information with respect to the cost of operation of the various institutions and facilities maintained, operated or owned by the county.
(c) Approve all orders for supplies issued by the various county officers, before the orders are to be placed with the parties to whom the same are to be given.
(d) Maintain a file of all contracts entered into by the county board and all authorized county officers, for or on behalf of the county.
(e) Report quarterly to the county board the entire financial operations of the county including revenues anticipated and received, expenditures estimated and paid, obligations unpaid, the condition of all funds and appropriations and other pertinent information. The county auditor shall cause to be published in at least one newspaper of general circulation in the county, a notice of the availability of the quarterly report for public inspection in the office of the county auditor. Such notice shall be published within 30 days of the date of the scheduled release of the report.
(f) Audit the receipts of all county officers and departments presented for deposit with the county treasurer.
(g) Maintain a continuous internal audit of the operations and financial records of the officers, agents or divisions of the county. The county auditor shall have access to all records, documents, and resources necessary for the discharge of this responsibility.
(h) Audit the inventory of all real and personal property owned by the county under the control and management of the various officers and departments of the county.
(i) Audit the documentation, records, and bases for the amounts billed to the county, as maintained by county vendors, under agreements between the county and its vendors, when those agreements provide that the amounts billed to the county are based upon actual costs incurred by the vendor, or when those agreements include the requirement that the county provide a reimbursement for out‑of‑pocket costs incurred by the vendors. The county auditor shall audit the documentation, records, and bases for the amounts required to be paid to the county under agreements with outside parties, when those amounts are based upon records and documentation generated, compiled, and maintained by the outside party. The vendors and outside parties affected by this Section shall provide to the county auditor, on a timely basis, all records and documents required by the county auditor relative to the county auditor's duties under this subsection.
(Source: P.A. 86‑962; 86‑1358.)
Sec. 3‑1006. Additional duties in counties of 275,000 or less. In counties of 275,000 population or less, as determined by the last federal decennial census, the county auditor, in addition to the duties prescribed in Section 3‑1005, shall:
(a) Be the general accountant of the county and keep its general accounts.
(b) Devise and install a system of financial records in the offices and divisions of the county, to be followed in such offices and divisions. Such a system shall be suitable to the needs of the office and in accordance with generally accepted principles of accounting for governmental bodies.
(Source: P.A. 86‑962.)