SAINT PAUL – State Auditor Rebecca Otto today announced
her campaign to run for re-election in 2010. Citing Minnesota’s budget
crisis, she said she wants to lead the State Auditor’s Office to
continue to improve government efficiency, accountability, and
transparency. “Tight times require government innovation,” Otto said.
With the current budget crisis and the economic
downturn, dollars will continue to be tight for government and families.
“We have to keep pushing government to innovate. I’ve created new
efficiencies for staff in the Office of the State Auditor (OSA), and for
local governments when they work with us. This saves time, and time is
money.” Auditor Otto has accomplished this through law changes,
technology updates, remote meetings, telecommuting, modifying forms, and
additional training and education. “I will continue leading on
innovation in government and pushing others to do the same.”
State Auditor Otto has exposed state government’s
increasing shift of its financial problems onto local property taxes.
“The no-new-state-tax folks are shifting the state’s fiscal mess onto
our property taxes, and most Minnesotans can’t afford it,” Otto said,
citing reports her office has issued that illustrate the shift. “I need
to be here in this tough economic climate to cut through the political
rhetoric, and make sure that there is full transparency for all
Minnesotans.”
Transparency in local government finances has improved
under Otto as well. “Minnesotans want to know where their money goes. I
have been able to improve transparency for them by creating an
innovative website where you are one to two clicks away from where your
tax dollars go at the local level.” Otto has also reworked OSA finance
reports to make them more understandable for policymakers.
Accountability for the prudent fiscal management of
taxpayer dollars is a must under State Auditor Otto. Otto has worked to
educate local government officials to get things right in the first
place when spending tax-dollars, rather than just catching them doing
the wrong thing. “Being proactive and preventive is always cheaper,”
Otto said, but also said, “if we catch somebody misusing government
funds, and we conduct the forensic audit, people go to jail. One
government dollar taken is one dollar too many.” She added, “I will keep
local officials on their toes and educate them on safeguarding public
funds especially in tight times.”
Auditor Otto’s innovative approach has been recognized
nationally. Her peers from the National State Auditors Association
awarded her the Excellence in Accountability Award for the report she
issued, “Best Practices Review: Reducing Energy Costs in Local
Government.” “When local governments reduce their energy costs they
reduce overhead costs, which can save tax dollars,” Otto said. “As your
State Auditor, I will continue to push for innovation at all levels of
government, as we cannot afford to continue with the status quo.”
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