The current Wayne County auditor (Kimberly Walton) and a former county auditor (Mark Hoelscher) are both seeking votes in the Republican primary.
Questions
1) In your opinion, what are the top three priorities of the office you’re seeking?
2) What is working well now in that office and what would you change?
3) What technology is currently being used in the auditor’s office (we’re curious more about its functions than brand names)? Would you use it if elected? How has technology changed how the auditor’s office conducts business in the last few years?
4) What role would the auditor’s office have in overseeing local spending of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds?
5) Help voters understand what motivated you to run (or to run again, if you’re an incumbent) for office and why you are the best person for the job.
Mark A. Hoelscher
*Age: 74
*Work experience: Former Wayne County Auditor, Business Manager at Northeastern Schools, former business owner
*Education/training: Richmond High School and Ball State University graduate
*Elected offices previously held and what years: Previously served as Wayne County Auditor
*Community involvement: No response.
1) The job of county auditor requires the person holding the office to perform the job as required by law.
The auditor is required to keep the county’s records, issue the county checks including payroll and all other claims against the county.
The auditor is required to audit all county funds and the property tax system of the county.
2) No response.
3)The use and reliance on computers in the auditor’s office has not reduced the need of oversight of the taxpayer’s money.
4) No response.
5) Being a public servant requires that the public has access to you.
If anyone has any additional questions, they may contact me at 765-960-6307 or write me at 4974 Esteb Road, Richmond, Indiana 47374.
I would appreciate the opportunity to serve you.
Kimberly Ann Walton
*Age: 41
*Work experience: 8 years in public accounting firm, chief deputy auditor 2 ½ years, county auditor 6 years.
*Education/training: Bachelor’s degree of business administration, Major in Accounting
*Elected offices previously held and what years: Wayne County Auditor 2017-current
*Community involvement: previously on the Junior Achievement Board, currently on Girls Inc. Board
1) The top three priorities of the auditor’s office are the county budget and making sure the county stays in budget set by county council, accounts payable and payroll for the county to be prepared accurately and timely, and finally providing the taxpayers with property tax deductions.
2) Our new payroll/financial software is working wonderfully. I will be continuing to use the software to have the departments start taking more ownership of the claims and budget process by having them enter their information and then sending it to us for review.
3) Currently we use our computers and the scanners with everything that we do. Yes, we will still be using it with each passing year due to the demands of State Board of Accounts, internal controls, and keeping a digital account of all documentation. Technology is ever evolving, and it is a necessary standard for the auditor’s office to be digital.
4) The auditor’s office will be keeping track of the expenditures and paying the invoices that the county council and commissioners have agreed to spend the money on, as well as uploading the information to the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s website.
5) I am simply not finished yet. I want to continue my vision of making the information more accessible to the taxpayers and departments to do their business. I want to make the auditor’s office completely streamlined. I love this job and I love Wayne County. I have the educational background, the financial expertise, and the technological acumen to see this office succeed. That is what makes me the only viable candidate for this job.