By SUZANNE CROUCH
Indiana Auditor of State

Responsibility; transparency; accountability. These seem to be the current buzzwords in the sphere of government. Elected officials have finally gotten the message from the people they represent – at least in Indiana – that it is time for them to be above reproach and to follow through on promises made to their constituents.

In my role as State Auditor, I am working to increase the fiscal transparency and accountability in our state, which in turn increases accountability to Hoosier taxpayers.

The Indiana Transparency Portal, maintained by my office, is one resource provided to Hoosiers to give them an inside look at what their tax dollars are funding.

Information about agency budgets, state revenues and expenditures, employee salaries, fixed assets and much more is available at the click of a button. More information will be added in upcoming months, and we will continue pursuing our goal of keeping the title of the most transparent state in the nation.

But we can’t stop there. Stories of corruption and internal theft are spreading rapidly across the country. The fix is increased transparency and accountability. Too often the culprits are the ones in power who are blindly trusted and do not receive enough oversight.

In an effort to increase accountability in Indiana government, I have proposed to the Legislature that an internal audit division be created to help ensure that people and processes within state agencies working effectively and using taxpayer dollars efficiently.

Currently, we have the State Board of Accounts that does an excellent job performing external audits for local units of government and other external entities, but we need more people checking to make sure internal processes within state agencies are running correctly. A strong system of internal controls is an essential component to sound financial management, and they must be constantly evaluated for effectiveness and efficiency.

I brought this measure to the attention of the Legislative Council’s Audit and Financial Reporting Subcommittee, and I am pleased to say that they are on course to move forward with discussion, further research and potential action.

During my years of public service as a County Auditor, County Commissioner, State Representative and now State Auditor, I have realized the importance of open, honest communication which is the foundation for transparency.

Hopefully the efforts of my office will help Indiana stay on course as being one of the best places to live, work and raise a family.

About Suzanne Crouch
Appointed in 2014 as Indiana’s 56th State Auditor, Suzanne Crouch serves as the state’s Chief Financial Officer. Prior to becoming State Auditor, Crouch served eight years as the State Representative for House District 78 in Evansville.