Often, I wonder what it will take for Iowans to wake up and pay attention to the State Auditor’s office. I pray it won’t take a massive scandal like what happened in Minnesota.

What is the point of paying taxes if we are not going to properly oversee how those dollars are spent?

Right now, $51 million levied through township property taxes goes with virtually no oversight. On top of that, more than $100 million a year in small-town property taxes can go without an audit for up to eight years. I find it ironic that taxpayers are required to keep careful records and report our income to the government every year so they know exactly how much we owe them, yet local governments are not held to the same standard of accountability to us.

That has to change, and it is exactly why I am running for State Auditor.

I have a real plan to fix Iowa Code and increase efficiency so we can properly oversee our hard-earned tax dollars. I also believe taxpayers deserve to see a detailed account of how their money is spent. That is why I am proposing a statewide accounting software system for local governments, with transactions made available online for the public to review. It shouldn’t take a PhD to understand how our property taxes are being spent, and I believe the public should be able to see every transaction.

Transparency is how we truly root out fraud, waste, and abuse. It will not only curb the temptation to misuse taxpayer dollars, but it will also empower voters to identify bad actors in their local elections.

I urge Iowans to wake up, pay attention to this race, and take it seriously. It is critical that we elect someone who cares about doing the job, not someone simply seeking a political title.