Next state auditor should work on your behalf

Delaware's Office of the State Auditor must keep pace with technology and software advances. Most other states regularly test and implement a wide array of next- generation technology, designed to create a transparent, efficient, and streamlined auditing process.

Investments in technology like these are a lens into the great potential Delaware has to innovate within the Office of the Auditor of Accounts.

Operating efficiently and minimizing costs are the foremost concerns of any auditing authority.

Minimizing the administrative burden for agencies and organizations being audited can lead to improved results and save dollars for taxpayers. One of the best ways to do this is ensure that all agencies throughout the state use a uniform accounting system. Such a system, like the one currently in use in the state of Ohio, allows state entities, like school districts, to accurately track their finances for internal purposes such as budgeting, purchasing and inventory, as well as create standard end-of-year statements and reports.

Collecting and tracking this information in a single, central program reduces the time-consuming and financially costly process of manually building statements and reports from different files and noncompatible accounting programs.

Installing a uniform accounting system will also improve the thoroughness and accuracy of the user's records, contributing to the quality and efficiency of the audits performed by the auditor of accounts.

Ultimately, this is what I want to do as your next state auditor: to access accurate data quickly and thoroughly to protect and create value for Delaware taxpayers.

Finally, in a bid to get taxpayers and government employees fully invested in the auditing process, a mobile app would allow citizens to report suspicions of fraud, waste, and abuse in their interactions with the state.

The logic behind developing such an app is clear: people are increasingly turning away from making telephone calls. In today's mobile age, having to call a hotline to report fraud, waste, and abuse can seem like an archaic, time-consuming process. A mobile app provides convenience and immediacy. No longer are we concerned that the person suspecting abuse will simply forget to report it. With a mobile app, a citizen or government employee could instantly report the problem from wherever they are, in the parking lot or even in the office.

Fundamentally, this increases accessibility to the auditor's office, creating a repository of complaints for the auditor to investigate.

It also allows the auditor to monitor offices and agencies that receive high complaint volumes, which could indicate a special cause for concern.

This strikes at the heart of my goal to become your next state auditor working on your behalf to combat any waste, fraud, and abuse of your taxpayer dollars.

In short, we should invest in these tools so the Office of the Auditor of Accounts has the resources necessary to manage more information and analyze more data to meet its mission: protecting Delaware's taxpayers.

Kathleen " Kathy " McGuiness is a Certified Fraud Examiner, Registered Pharmacist, an elected Rehoboth Commissioner and candidate for State Auditor of Accounts.