Pennsylvania Auditor General
| Pennsylvania Auditor General | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Partisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| 2012-2013 FY Budget: | $42,393,000 |
| Term limits: | None |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | 4 years |
| Authority: | Pennsylvania Constitution, Article IV, Section 1 |
| Selection Method: | Elected |
| Current Officeholder | |
 | |
| Name: | Eugene Depasquale |
| Officeholder Party: | Democratic |
| Assumed office: | January 15, 2013 |
| Compensation: | $152,443 |
| Elections | |
| Next election: | November 2016 |
| Last election: | November 6, 2012 |
| Other Pennsylvania Executive Offices | |
| Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Superintendent of Education • Agriculture Commissioner • Insurance Commissioner • Natural Resources Commissioner • Labor Commissioner • Public Service Commission | |
Contents |
Current officeholder
The current officeholder is Eugene DePasquale. He was elected in 2012 and sworn in on January 15, 2013.
Authority
Though the state constitution does not specifically create the office of auditor general, it does allow for the addition of public officers in Article IV, Section 1:
|
All officers, whose selection is not provided for in this Constitution, shall be elected or appointed as may be directed by law. |
Given this authority, the Pennsylvania General Assembly created the office of auditor general in 1809.[1]
Qualifications
There are no specific qualifications for the Pennsylvania Auditor General.
Elections
Initially, the auditor general was appointed by the governor, but in 1850 the position became an elected office. From 1850 to 1909, auditors general were elected to serve three-year terms. In 1909, the state legislature passed amended the constitution that expanded the terms to four years.[1]
2012
Incumbent Jack Wagner (D) was prevented by term-limits from seeking re-election. Eugene DePasquale (D) defeated fellow state Rep. John Maher (R), along with third party candidate Betsy Summers, in the general election on November 6, 2012.[2]
| Pennsylvania Auditor General General Election, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Eugene DePasquale |
49.7% | 2,729,565 | |
| Republican | John Maher | 46.4% | 2,548,767 | |
| Libertarian | Betsy Summers | 3.8% | 210,786 | |
| Total Votes | 5,489,118 | |||
| Election Results via Pennsylvania Department of State. | ||||
Vacancies
Article IV, Section 8 of the Pennsylvania Constitution grants the governor the power to appoint officers to fill vacancies. In the event of a vacancy in the office of auditor general, the governor nominates a successor. This nomination must be made to the commonwealth senate within 90 days of the vacancy. The senate must then take action (confirming or not confirming the nomination) within 25 legislative days.[3]
Duties
The principal role of the auditor general is to "determine whether state funds are being used in accordance with the purpose and guidelines that govern each use of the Commonwealth's dollars."[4] The auditor general conducts financial and performance audits of individuals, state agencies, and organization that receive state funds, including school districts, state liquor stores, and public employee pensions. These audits are designed to measure how effectively government programs are using public money to meet their stated goals and objectives.[5] The office performs more than 6,000 audits each year, and is responsible for auditing all federal funds that are allocated to Pennsylvania state programs.
Divisions
The office of auditor general has four divisions, two of which are focused on the primary duty of the office. The other two have a more administrative focus.
- The Audits division is the largest division of the auditor general's office. There are bureaus within this division that cover every type of financial audit the office conducts: Corporate Tax Audits, County Audits, Departmental Audits, Federal Audits, Liquor Audits, Firefighters' Relief Association Audits, Technical Audit Services, Municipal Pension Audits, Public Assistance Audits, and School Audits.
- The Performance Audits division is separated into two offices that focus on two distinct types of performance audits: the Bureau of Special Performance Audits and the Bureau of State-Owned Performance Audits.
- The Government Relations division contains the offices of Communications and the Taxpayer Advocate.
- The Administration division contains the offices of Comptroller, Support Services, Management Information Systems, Human Resources, Equal Opportunity, and the Municipal Pension and Fire Relief Programs Unit.[6]
State budget
The budget for the Auditor General in Fiscal Year 2012-2013 was $42,393,000.[7]
Compensation
- See also: Compensation of state executive officers
2012
In 2012, the auditor general was paid an estimated $152,443. This figure comes from the Council of State Governments.
2008
In 2008, the Pennsylvania Auditor General was paid an estimated $141,565 according to the League of Women Voters[8]
Contact information
229 Finance Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120-0018
Phone: 717-787-2543
Fax: 717-783-4407
Email: Auditor General
See also
External links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Pennsylvania Department of the Auditor General, "About the department," June 3, 2011
- ↑ Philadelphia Inquirer, "Election Results 2012," accessed November 7, 2012
- ↑ Pennsylvania State Legislature, "Executive branch," June 1, 2011
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of the Auditor General, "Frequently asked questions," June 3, 2011
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of the Auditor General, "Overview: Department of the auditor general," June 3, 2011
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of the Auditor General, "Staff directory, department of the auditor general," June 3, 2011
- ↑ Pennsylvania Budget Office, "2012-13 Enacted Budget - Act 9A," accessed April 10, 2013
- ↑ The League of Women Voters, "Smart Voter: Pennsylvania citizens education fund," June 3, 2011
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