Indiana auditor hopefuls Brooks, Klutz, Schick answer questions on statewide issues

The Tribune is partnering with the League of Women Voters of the South Bend Area and the American Democracy Project of Indiana University South Bend to publish candidates' answers to questions on the issues. The League and IUSB's ADP operates Vote411.org, a website with information about the candidates and their positions on key issues. The site also includes other tools to help navigate the voting process.

The Tribune has agreed to run candidate answers unedited, meaning any spelling, typographical or grammatical errors are the candidates' own. The Tribune is publishing only some of the questions from a selection of significant races. Additional questions and answers are available at Vote411.org.

ZeNai Brooks

Democrat

Corporate Responsibility Finance Director, Cummins

admin@votezenai.com

http://www.votezenai.com

317-586-8186

Facebook.com/votezenai

Tera Klutz

Republican

Accountant/CPA/State Auditor

tera@teraklutz.com

http://www.teraklutz.com

317-635-7561

John Andrew Schick

Libertarian

Management Consultant

219-629-1037

Name one improvement needed in the State Auditor’s Office to increase efficiency and transparency. How would you address this needed improvement?

Brooks: One improvement needed to improve efficiencies is to ensure communication between the Auditor's office, various agencies and businesses. This would allow for quicker payment processing for invoices and other state bills.

One improvement needed to improve transparency is to increase visibility into the impact of state funding decisions. I would work with agencies to ensure accurate collection of metrics in addition to displaying metrics publicly.

Klutz: The State Auditor's office is always looking for ways to improve efficiency and transparency. Increasing financial and accounting training within the State Auditor's office as well as within State Agencies will increase the efficiency and accuracy of financial reporting.

Schick: The Auditor of State should be independent of the two old political parties that approve spending and create mandates that are imposing costs on the public.

Are changes needed in the Hoosier Start Program, the state deferred compensation plan for investment and retirement, to better serve state employees? Explain your response.

Brooks: The Hoosier State Program appears to be effective. There are a couple things to consider: How often does the state issue RFPs for management, work to allow municipal workers to opt out of the plan upon hiring and offer a way for and also consider assistance to ensure state and municipal employees.

Klutz: I am excited about improving our participant experience and engagement with Indiana's Hoosier Start Plan. Hoosier Start is similar to a 401(k) for the private sector only it is for state and other local government employees. Plan costs and investment fees can be very complicated because one has to know all the places to look and add them together. My team is working on putting a summary together of the flat costs from the third party administrator as well as the percent costs of each investment fund option so that participants can easily see what the overlapping costs are for each $1000 of investment they are saving for retirement.

Schick: From what I understand, the program offers voluntary 457 and 401(a) plans for public employees. I am not aware of any coercive elements to the plan and therefore would not recommend any changes.

What skills would you bring to this office that distinguish you from your opponents?

Brooks: I'm a community advocate and servant leader, in addition to my almost 15 years of business and accounting experience. Coupled with my faith and being a First Lady, these characteristics position me to use my voice on behalf of others. This unique combination showcases me as the best person to advocate on behalf of Hoosier communities to direct funding to communities that need it most. I have experience as an auditor, internal auditor, budget leader, strategist and many more aspects of business that would help determine the best ways to work along side agencies as a partner.

Klutz: I am the first elected certified public accountant to hold the position and I have worked in public accounting, auditing a variety of different business and non-for-profit entities. I am the only candidate with local government accounting/auditing experience as I worked in the Allen County Auditor's office before becoming State Auditor. This county auditor experience is probably the most important distinction from my opponents and the most important as the State Auditor works very closely with all 92 county auditors across the state to oversee the property tax collection and distribution process. My background allows me to make the changes necessary to perform the job better because I understand both sides of the operation.

Schick: I have an MBA from Indiana University and 25 years of experience with activities like those of the Auditor, such as examining contracts and accounts, improving the transparency of financial information, and evolving databases in reaction to new technology or policies.

What improvements could be made to the Indiana Transparency Portal to better serve the Office of the Auditor and the citizens of Indiana?

Brooks: The Transparency Portal should include data metrics for the various funding recipients, which can be housed on the portal so Hoosiers can understand how money is spent and the impact and affects on communities.

Klutz: Indiana's Transparency Portal is a wonderful tool for not only the citizens of Indiana but also for legislators and others throughout the nation who are trying to find out information about how Indiana operates. The Portal currently includes information on state and local employee salaries, state contracts, state expenses, state assets, state tax distributions to local government units and much more. We are always looking for ways to improve the website as both technology as well as the information stakeholders are looking for are continuously changing.

Schick: I have used the IN.gov Transparency Portal for many years and have seen the level of actual Transparency fluctuate dramatically. At the current time it is much improved over where it was 4 years ago. I still find it very cumbersome to link appropriations by the State to Counties and how the Counties are using that money.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Brooks vs Klutz vs Schick in race for auditor of state