Move To Fill Vacant County Auditor Position

Rockland County Legislator Ed Day wants to fill the county’s vacant auditor position to provide additional oversight over the fiscal and budgetary process. The position has been vacant since 2007. With the county’s ongoing financial problems, Day said the county should hire an independent, qualified auditor, whose responsibility would be to protect the taxpayers’ money.

“I’m looking to essentially redefine that position,” said Day.

He described the current job description as vague, leading to the possibility of a patronage appointment. 

“Worse still, the qualifications required are none - only that the Auditor 'be appointed based on experience and qualifications," Day said.

The referral he submitted to the legislature on Friday would require an amendment to the county charter for the auditor to have a BA in Finance or Accounting and either a CPA or an MBA in Finance or Accounting. Day proposes the county executive appoint the county auditor who would have to be approved by the legislature. The recommendation includes a fixed term begin immediately upon the creation of the "new" county auditor position and end on December 31, 2014. Going forward, the auditor would be limited to serving one four-year term beginning in 2015.

Day proposed the auditor’s four year term be staggered so it does not run consecutive with the county executive’s term as a way “to ensure their independence from the administration.”

Ron Levine, spokesman for the county’s executive’s office said the county’s finance and budget departments currently handle many of the auditor’s functions. He said the last auditor’s salary was $77,315, which is not currently included in the 2013 county budget.

“We recognize it to be an important position,” said Levine.

Day’s referral would write the auditor’s specific duties directly into the charter, including responsibility to audit the financial records and accounts of all units of county government; reconcile and approve estimates of tax revenue in the annual budget prior to its submission; provide regular updates on the county’s fiscal condition, and evaluate the fiscal and revenue impact of any measure introduced by the legislature that requires the use of funds. 

Day stated that he believed the new approach to the position would bring increased accountability to the budget process.

"In order to give our budget deficit and revenue troubles the attention they deserve, we must fill the position and make it one of an independent professional devoted full-time to tracking our County's fiscal situation," stated Day, who is running for county executive.