When Suzanne Crouch was deciding whether to accept Gov. Mike Pence’s invitation to become Indiana’s state auditor, her husband asked her a simple question: Where is the auditor’s office located, anyways?
“I think it illustrates how little is known about one of the most important offices in state government,” Crouch said.
Crouch, a Republican who had served in the Indiana General Assembly since 2005, admitted that she didn’t know where the office was, either — she had to ask after accepting the job in January. (Turns out, she said, it’s directly across from the Governor’s office.)
So, as the keynote speaker at the Rotary Club of Evansville’s weekly meeting Tuesday, Crouch took some time to enlighten the crowd.
Most people think the auditor audits financial books, Crouch said, but that’s not actually what she does.
Indiana’s auditor is the state’s chief financial officer, Crouch explained. In this role, she oversees payroll for state employees, makes sure the state’s bills get paid and disburses state money to local government entities.
The state auditor prepares Indiana’s annual financial report, upon which ratings agencies like Standard & Poor’s base their bond ratings. Indiana is one of only 15 states with a AAA credit rating, Crouch noted.
In speaking of her role, Crouch said the state auditor is a vital part of state government’s system of checks and balances.
“I believe that my office is the key to keeping accountability and transparency as a No. 1 priority in state government,” she told the group.
“You as taxpayers deserve to know where your tax dollars are being spent.”
Along those lines, Crouch said new information from her office will be added to Indiana’s online transparency portal within the next week or two.
The portal will soon include information on Indiana’s $13 billion in fixed assets — things like roads and other infrastructure, buildings and equipment worth more than $2,000.
Already available at the Indiana Transparency Portal: information on budgets, expenditures, business incentive contracts and other financial data relating to state government. The portal can be found at www.in.gov/itp.
Crouch faces a Democratic opponent, Mike Claytor of Carmel, in November’s election.