Oklahoma State Auditor Gary Jones today released information regarding the agency’s success in eliminating a pre-existing backlog of county audits, promoted the expanded use of Performance Audits to eliminate wasteful spending, and announced the restructuring of the agency for the next two years of his first term.
“We have completed three years worth of audits in two years and that is truly remarkable,” said State Auditor Gary Jones. “When you consider that when we took office the agency was compliant in conducting audits in only 25 of Oklahoma’s 77 counties, our employees have accomplished a remarkable feat. We have literally completed 231 years of audits and the backlog has virtually been eliminated.”
A state map with color coded counties identifies when the last fiscal year audit had been completed as of January 10, 2011, and compares it to the status of county audits two years later. Today, only Cotton and Murray counties remain from the original backlog list and audits are currently underway in both counties and also Love County to bring all three counties current as of fiscal year 2012. In total, 67 counties are now fully compliant with the auditing requirement and all 77 counties will be in compliance by the end of the current fiscal year.
“Two thousand twelve was a particularly busy year for the State Auditor’s Office,” Jones said. “In addition to the 160 county audits completed, we engaged in several Performance Audits on behalf of Governor Fallin and others. I don’t generally talk about the audits, preferring instead to let the audits speak for themselves. I do want to mention a couple because we appreciate the confidence the Governor has demonstrated in our ability to do the work Oklahomans expect from their State Auditor.
“We’re often called the watchdog and that’s okay,” Jones said. “The term, though, also tends to pigeonhole us without acknowledging that we’re a whole lot more, both as a tool for lawmakers and government leaders to use to identify program weaknesses and in achieving transparency and accountability in government.
“The Native American Cultural and Education Authority Performance Audit identified considerable waste that has prolonged completion of the project and resulted in skyrocketing costs,” Jones said. “The audit identified numerous problems while also recommending an equal number of solutions to put the landmark history-preserving project back on track.
“A Performance Audit of the Department of Central Services pointed to multiple problems with the state’s capital asset management,” Jones said. “We have property we didn’t know we owned or buildings in disrepair that only receive attention when an emergency erupts or the public’s health is at risk.”
Currently, Performance Audits are underway at other public entities including EMSA, the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs and the City of Oklahoma City.
Special Investigative Audits resulting from Citizen Petition Requests are underway in Miami, Elk City, Glenpool, and Dewar with requests pending for the towns of Beaver and Rock Island.
DA requests include ongoing or pending Investigative Audits for the towns of Spencer, Healdton, and Woodward. The town council requested Special Audit of New Cordell will be released soon.
“Without a doubt, we’re busy, and there’s more we can do to serve our residents as the independent auditor for the state,” Jones said. “We never identify a problem without offering a solution and its good solutions, regardless of whose idea it is, that are necessary if we wish to achieve good government.”
In a continuing effort to improve agency operations, Jones announced a restructuring of his organization effective immediately. Deputy State Auditor Steve Tinsley, who came out of retirement in 2011 to accept his current post in the Jones’ administration, will re-enter retirement after 25 years of service to the State Auditor’s Office at the end of June.
As part of the restructuring, Jones announced the creation of three Deputy State Auditor positions to oversee various aspects of agency operations and functions.
Lisa Hodges, CFE, CGFM, has been named as Deputy State Auditor for State Agency Auditing and Information Services (bio follows).
Cindy Perry, CPA, has been named as Deputy State Auditor for Local Government Services (bio follows).
Janice Buchanan, MBA, has been named as Deputy State Auditor for Special Audits, Administration and Public Policy (bio follows).
“I’m pleased to announce the appointments of three very capable and talented individuals to the position of Deputy State Auditor for the State of Oklahoma,” Jones said. “Each of these individuals is an exceptional public servant who understands the importance of good governance and has spent much of her adult life in the pursuit of improving Oklahoma government operation and the delivery of government services.”
LISA HODGES, CFE, CGFM, currently serves as Director of State Agency Audits and has been with SAI since 1981. Lisa became a Certified Fraud Examiner in 1993 and qualified in 1996 as a Certified Government Financial Manager. Since 1998 she has served on the National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers, and Treasurers’ (NASACT) Peer Review Team as team member, team leader and concurring reviewer. Lisa currently serves on the Oklahoma College Savings Plan Board as the State Auditor’s designee and sits on the Commissioners of the Land Office Internal Audit Committee. Lisa earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Oklahoma State University in 1981.
CINDY PERRY, CPA, has served as the Director of the County Audit Division for the Office of the State Auditor and Inspector since July 1, 2011. Cindy graduated from East Central University with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and is a Certified Public Accountant. She has 17 years of local governmental auditing experience which includes county audits, district attorney audits, emergency medical services district audits, and investigative audits.
During her career with the Auditor’s Office, Cindy has held the positions of Audit Supervisor, Audit Manager, and Division Director. As Director of County Audits, Cindy has been instrumental in implementing training programs to assist county officials with preparation of annual financial statements, and in identifying weaknesses in a county’s system of checks and balances to safeguard taxpayer funds.
JANICE BUCHANAN, MBA, graduated with a BA in Behavioral Science from the University of Chicago and an MBA from the University of Oklahoma. She has worked for the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, OKC Branch and has over twenty years of state government policy, finance, and legislative experience. While serving as Fiscal Director for the Oklahoma House of Representatives, Janice formulated fiscal policy, negotiated state budgets and created strategic plans for legislative leadership. Janice currently is a member of the State Auditor’s Performance Audit Team.
