(WA) State Auditor agrees with EFF's criticism of new performance audit law

Evergreen Freedom Foundation ^ | 6-3-05 | Booker Stallworth

[truth49]

Audio link courtesy of TVW: 6/2/05 Inside Olympia

OLYMPIA—Appearing on the June 2 edition of TVW’s Inside Olympia hosted by David Ammons, State Auditor Brian Sonntag agreed with the criticisms offered by the Evergreen Freedom Foundation (EFF) and Initiative 900 sponsor Tim Eyman concerning the performance audit law passed this session.

EFF and Eyman have complained that under the new performance audit law (HB 1064), an unelected political board unnecessarily restricts the state auditor’s ability to conduct performance audits. The text of HB 1064 clearly states that the unelected board will “establish criteria for performance audits” as well as be jointly empowered with the state auditor to develop the methodology for the performance review and the work plan for performance audits contracted by the state auditor.

When asked by host David Ammons what he thought of EFF’s and Eyman’s performance audit complaints, Sonntag said, “[T]hey’re not wrong….”

“The independently elected state auditor is directly accountable to the people and should be fully empowered to conduct any performance audits,” said Jason Mercier, budget analyst for EFF. “If the people don’t trust the auditor to do the job we hired him for, we can always elect someone new. The people’s elected auditor does not need an unelected political board to serve as a gatekeeper for the types of performance audits he is authorized to do.”

Partial Transcript of Inside Olympia interview with State Auditor Brian Sonntag

• State auditor on the independence of the auditor’s office: “The founders of the state didn’t like or trust government very much and they had some good reasons. They created a very independent check and balance on state and local government operations, called it the state auditor, put it right smack in the state Constitution. And it is an independently elected statewide office. I’m not hired by the governor or by the legislature. I’m hired by the citizens of the state and that’s who we work for.”
  
  

• State auditor on HB 1064: “Is it a perfect bill? No. But is it something that we can probably put into effect and work with and try to improve? You bet.”
  
  

• Criticisms of new performance audit law
  Host David Ammons: “Tim Eyman, who has relied on the expert research of various interest groups, including the Evergreen Freedom Foundation which has done a lot of research…He believes that the legislation isn’t adequately funded, that it doesn’t apply to local government, and that it does not give you [state auditor] sole authority over performance audits and that you have a shared relationship with a citizen advisory board, which he says that they run the show, not you, and that you are the elected official. What do you make of those comments and then, what do you think about his initiative [I-900] which he says takes care of the criticisms that I just ticked off?”
  
  

  Sonntag: “It does and certainly his work, and primarily that of Bob Williams and the Evergreen Freedom Foundation, they’re not wrong. Also, I have to say, this is the best piece of legislation to come along and to get through that [legislative] process…. ”
  
  

  Ammons: “You agree with each of his criticisms of the legislation?”
  
  

  Sonntag: “I do. In fact legislation that we offered, our draft legislation, didn’t have such an oversight board, didn’t have the restrictions as outlined, and so we would prefer that it didn’t.”
  
  

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